US Charge d’Affaires in Yemen Cathy Westley said Saturday that her top priority was “to ensure the immediate release” of Yemeni staff of the US embassy in Sanaa detained by the Houthi militias and regaining control of the mission headquarters.
“My number one priority is to ensure the immediate release of all of our local staff detained in Yemen, regain control of the compound that housed the US Embassy in Sanaa, and stop the Houthi harassment of our local staff,” Westley said in a message posted on the mission’s Twitter account.
“I have directed my team to work in concert with the US Special Envoy for Yemen and the international community to harness all diplomatic means at our disposal towards this end – we will not cease in our efforts,” she said.
The diplomat added that Washington remains committed to a lasting peaceful solution to the Yemeni conflict.
On Friday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that the United States condemns the detention of Yemeni staff of the US embassy in Sanaa by the Houthis and demands their immediate release.
Dozens of Yemeni citizens and their family members have been detained and mistreated by the Iran-backed Houthis because they worked for the US in a caretaker capacity since the embassy there closed in 2015, the statement said.
