Houthis arrest UN employees in Yemen

(MENAFN) The Houthi movement in Yemen has detained at least 11 United Nations staff members after raiding UN offices in the capital, Sanaa, and the port city of Hodeidah, according to the UN special envoy on Sunday.

The arrests followed an Israeli airstrike on Thursday that killed Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al-Rahawi, the Houthis’ de facto prime minister, along with several senior officials. In the wake of the strike, a Yemeni security source told AFP that dozens more individuals were detained across Sanaa and nearby areas over alleged ties to Israel.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the incident, stating that Houthi forces forcibly entered World Food Program facilities, seized UN property, and attempted to break into other UN agency offices.

Hans Grundberg, the UN’s special envoy for Yemen, denounced what he called a “new wave of arbitrary detentions” and demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all detained UN personnel. He emphasized that UN staff operate based on principles of neutrality, impartiality, independence, and humanity, and that such actions violate international obligations to protect aid workers.

Grundberg noted that even before this latest incident, the Houthis were holding 23 UN staff members—some of whom have been detained since 2021. One of them reportedly died in custody earlier this year. The Houthis have previously accused detained aid workers of being part of a U.S.-Israeli espionage network, a claim the UN strongly denies.

Since the war in Gaza began, the Houthis have extended their military activities beyond Yemen’s borders, targeting Israel with drones and missiles and attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea, framing their actions as support for Palestinians.

In response, Israel has carried out multiple airstrikes against Houthi positions in Yemen, including a recent strike on the presidential palace in Sanaa that killed al-Rahawi. Following his death, the Houthis pledged to intensify their attacks on Israel.

Houthi Defense Minister Major General Mohammed Nasser Al-Atifi warned of a strong retaliation, stating that their forces are fully prepared for confrontation and accusing the U.S. of targeting Yemeni civilians in a manner similar to its alleged actions in Gaza.

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