The United Nations on Wednesday firmly rejected allegations by the Houthis in Yemen that some UN agencies and partners have been "colluding to destroy" the country's education system.
Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, dismissed the allegations, stating "such false statements are baseless, and further threaten the safety of staff and hinder our ability and our partners ability to serve the people of Yemen."
The allegations were made against the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and other humanitarian partners.
He reiterated that UN agencies have been working tirelessly to address the impact of the dire crisis in Yemen, where over the half the population - or about 19 million people - depend on humanitarian assistance and protection.
Protecting right to education
Since 2021, UNICEF and partners have been working to ensure quality education for Yemen's children through the Restoring Education And Learning (REAL) programme.
This national partnership - with the Ministry of Education, the World Bank, the Global Partnership for Education and others - has provided critical support, including paying regular incentives to over 40,000 teachers and rehabilitating more than 770 schools.
It also supplied schoolbags and educational materials to over half a million children, provided regular school meals to over 600,000 students, and supported over 9,000 teachers with professional training, among other investments.
"With over 4.5 million children out of school in Yemen, UNICEF calls on the Sana'a authorities to lead a constructive and collaborative approach, working together with all partners to address the pressing needs of all children," Mr. Dujarric said.
UN personnel must be protected
The UN Spokesperson further underscored that the safety of all United Nations personnel must be respected and assured.
More than three months have passed since the Houthis (also known as Ansar Allah) arbitrarily detained 13 UN personnel, in addition to members of civil society, national and international NGOs, as well as diplomatic missions.
Additionally, four UN staff detained in 2021 and 2023 remain in detention.
"The Secretary-General reiterates his call for the immediate and unconditional release of all UN personnel and partners, who are arbitrarily detained in Yemen," Mr. Dujarric said.
"In the meantime, those detained must be treated with full respect for their human rights, and they must be able to contact their families and contact their legal representatives," he added.
