Houthi security forces in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, have raided the offices of two major United Nations agencies and detained several staff members. This marks the latest in a series of crackdowns by the Iran-backed rebels on international organizations operating in areas under their control.
Details of the Raids
On Sunday, Houthi forces entered the offices of the World Food Program (WFP) and UNICEF, the UN’s children’s agency. According to officials, at least one WFP employee was detained, with reports of others also being taken into custody. WFP spokesperson Abeer Etefa confirmed the raid, calling the “arbitrary detention” of humanitarian staff “unacceptable.”
A UNICEF spokesperson, Ammar Ammar, acknowledged an “ongoing situation” at the agency’s offices in Sanaa but did not provide further details. A UN official, speaking anonymously, stated that contact had been lost with several other employees from both WFP and UNICEF, raising concerns that they may also have been detained.
A Pattern of Hostility
These raids are the latest incident in a history of Houthi actions against the UN and other aid groups. In January, the rebels detained eight UN staff members, which led the agency to suspend operations in Saada, a Houthi stronghold. The Houthis have also previously detained staff from aid groups, civil society organizations, and even members of the now-closed United States embassy in Sanaa.
The recent raids come just days after an Israeli airstrike reportedly killed the Houthi prime minister and several of his cabinet members.