Houthis detain dozens of UN staffers in Yemen’s capital

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have detained more than two dozen United Nations employees in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, a UN official confirmed on October 19. The arrests come a day after the group raided another UN facility in the city.

Jean Alam, spokesman for the UN resident coordinator in Yemen, told The Associated Press that the detainees were held inside a facility in Sanaa’s southwestern Hada district. Those detained include five Yemeni nationals and 15 international staff. In addition, 11 UN employees were released following questioning.

The UN was in contact with the Houthis and other parties "to resolve this serious situation as swiftly as possible, end the detention of all personnel, and restore full control over its facilities in Sanaa," Alam said.

A second UN official, speaking anonymously, said that the rebels had confiscated all communications equipment from the facility, including phones, servers, and computers. The detained staff come from multiple UN agencies, including the World Food Programme, UNICEF, and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The Houthis have been conducting a long-running crackdown against UN and other international organisations operating in rebel-held areas, including Sanaa, the port city of Hodeida, and the northern stronghold of Saada province. Dozens of people, including more than 50 UN staffers, have reportedly been detained in recent months. Earlier this year, a World Food Programme worker died in detention in Saada.

The rebels have repeatedly accused UN personnel and others working with international groups or foreign embassies of spying, though the claims have not been substantiated. The UN has strongly denied these allegations.

The crackdown has forced the UN to suspend operations in Saada province following the detention of eight staffers in January. In response, the UN also relocated its top humanitarian coordinator from Sanaa to Aden, the coastal city that serves as the seat of Yemen’s internationally recognised government.

By Vugar Khalilov