New York-Aden: Europe and the Arabs
The Secretary-General of the United Nations expressed his happiness at the release of five UN staff members in Yemen who were kidnapped in Abyan governorate on February 11, 2022. This came in the UN news bulletin, of which we received a copy yesterday, Saturday.
The five employees belong to the United Nations Department of Safety and Security Affairs, and they are: Akm Sofi Al-Anam, Mazen Bawazir, Bakil Al-Mahdi, Muhammad Al-Maleiki, and Khaled Mukhtar Sheikh.
  In a statement attributed to his deputy spokesman, Farhan Haq, the Secretary-General said that the available information indicates that all five colleagues are in good health, expressing his deep relief at the end of their ordeal and the concern of their families and friends.
The Secretary-General reaffirmed that kidnapping is an inhumane and unjustified crime, calling for the perpetrators to be held accountable. He also expressed his solidarity with the other people who remain in detention in Yemen.
In turn, the Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen, David Gresley, welcomed the release of the five UN staff members this week.
The UN coordinator said the colleagues - four national staff and one international - had spent 18 months in captivity. added:
"I was very pleased to see for myself that the four Yemeni colleagues were in good health when I traveled with them from Mukalla to Aden. All five of our staff are supported, in good spirits and in contact with their families."
Gresley thanked the Yemeni government and everyone who helped secure the release of the UN colleagues and contributed to ensuring their health during this long period of captivity. added:
"While the entire UN family in Yemen is relieved that our colleagues are free, we also remember that other UN staff members remain in detention in Yemen. We stand in solidarity with them."