The United Nations revealed that 19 of its employees, including 18 Yemeni nationals and one international staffer, are being held by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels following aggressive raids on UN offices in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa. The detentions, which occurred on Sunday, mark a significant escalation in the Houthis’ crackdown on international organizations, prompting urgent calls from the UN for their immediate release.
The raids targeted offices of the UN’s food, health, and children’s agencies, coming days after an Israeli airstrike on Thursday killed Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi and several Cabinet ministers. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric condemned the Houthis’ actions, noting that the group has detained 23 other UN employees since 2021, reflecting a pattern of hostility toward international aid workers in rebel-controlled areas.
The Houthis, who have controlled Sanaa and much of northern Yemen since 2014, have been locked in a civil war with Yemen’s internationally recognized government, supported by a Saudi-led coalition. The conflict intensified after the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked Israel’s war in Gaza. In solidarity with Palestinians, the Houthis began targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea, prompting U.S. and Israeli retaliatory strikes in Houthi-controlled regions, further destabilizing Yemen.
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UN special envoy Hans Grundberg, fresh from meetings in Muscat with Houthi negotiator Mohammed Abdelsalam and diplomatic representatives, denounced the raids as a severe threat to the UN’s ability to deliver critical aid to Yemen, the Arab world’s poorest nation. Grundberg warned that the Houthis’ actions could cripple humanitarian efforts, exacerbating the country’s already dire food and health crises.
The detentions have drawn global attention to the worsening situation in Yemen, where millions rely on UN aid amid ongoing conflict and economic collapse. The international community is pressing for dialogue to secure the release of the detained staff and restore safe access for humanitarian operations, as fears grow over the Houthis’ increasingly aggressive stance toward foreign organizations.
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