CAIRO — Iranian-backed Houthi militants detained 20 United Nations employees in Yemen on Sunday, escalating tensions after a recent raid on another UN facility in the capital, Sanaa, officials said, according to The Frontier Post.
Jean Alam, spokesperson for the UN resident coordinator in Yemen, confirmed that the detainees were held inside a facility in Sanaa’s southwestern Hada district. The group includes five Yemeni nationals and 15 international staff members. An additional 11 UN employees, previously questioned, were released.
“All efforts are underway to resolve this serious situation swiftly, secure the release of all personnel, and restore full control over UN facilities in Sanaa,” Alam said.
A second UN official, speaking anonymously, reported that the militants confiscated all communications equipment, including phones, servers, and computers. The detained staffers work across multiple UN agencies, including the World Food Programme, UNICEF, and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The Houthis have waged a long-running crackdown on international organizations operating in territories under their control, including Sanaa, Hodeida, and the northern stronghold of Saada province. Dozens of people, including over 50 UN staffers, have been detained since the campaign began. A World Food Programme worker previously died in detention in Saada.
Houthi militants have repeatedly, but without evidence, accused UN staffers and those working with foreign embassies of espionage; claims the UN has consistently denied.
These events forced the UN to suspend operations in Saada following the January detention of eight staffers and prompted the relocation of its top humanitarian coordinator from Sanaa to Aden, the seat of Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
