Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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March 25, 2026 UN
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for the immediate release of 118 UN staff members currently held in detention in several countries.
The Secretary-General's call comes amid a rise in attacks on UN personnel: 179 UN staff members were arrested or detained last year alone. This figure has risen sharply: at the same time last year, 52 UN workers were in detention. Currently, in Yemen alone, the de facto authorities are holding 73 UN staff members, including eight from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The UN works in the most dangerous and unstable regions of the world, including Gaza, Afghanistan, Sudan, Ukraine, Yemen, Haiti and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“Any detention not only violates fundamental human rights, international law and immunity, but also undermines vital humanitarian efforts by delaying the delivery of aid to millions of people,” said General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock.
In Yemen, UN staff continue to face arbitrary arrests, and "some have been deprived of their liberty for five years," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said on Wednesday. "Every day that passes, the injustice of their detention deepens. Their suffering and that of their families is unbearable," he added.
UN staff in Yemen are held in territories controlled by the country's de facto authorities, the Houthis. Since 2014, Yemen has been in a state of civil conflict between the Houthis and the internationally recognized government.
The High Commissioner called on the de facto authorities in Yemen to immediately and unconditionally release all 73 UN staff members.
A history of losses and the fight for personnel safety
Since its founding in 1945, the UN has lost hundreds of staff members to death in the line of duty. As the Organization's operations expanded, so did the realization that its personnel were becoming increasingly vulnerable.
The first step toward systemic protection was the adoption of a resolution on the safety of UN personnel by the Security Council in September 1993. Following this, the Sixth Committee of the General Assembly began work on an international legal mechanism for the protection of personnel.
The result was the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel, adopted on 9 December 1994. The document became a key instrument obliging states to ensure the protection of personnel working in conflict and emergency situations.
A reminder of the tragedy
The International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing UN Staff is observed annually on the anniversary of the kidnapping of Alec Collett, who worked for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). He was seized by an armed group in 1985. It was only in 2009 that his remains were discovered in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. This story became a reminder of the dangers faced by humanitarian workers.
In recent years, the number of attacks against UN personnel has continued to increase. According to the Organization, staff members face risks of abduction, assault, unlawful detention, and death as a result of armed conflict.
Solidarity, justice, protection
Today's date aims to mobilize the international community to protect UN personnel and peacekeepers; to demand justice for those who have been kidnapped, detained, or attacked; and to strengthen the resolve of states to ensure the safety of humanitarian workers, journalists, and NGO representatives.
The UN emphasizes that protecting personnel is not only a moral obligation, but also a necessary condition for the fulfillment of humanitarian and peacekeeping mandates around the world.
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