UN chief demands release of 11 UN staff arrested by Houthi authorities in Yemen
Antonio Guterres condemns raids on WFP, UNICEF and WHO premises in Sanaa and Hudaydah and calls for immediate, unconditional release
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday demanded the "immediate and unconditional release" of 11 U.N. staff detained by Houthi authorities following raids on offices of the World Food Programme, UNICEF and the World Health Organization in Yemen.
The arrests occurred during security operations in the capital, Sanaa, and the Red Sea port city of Hudaydah, U.N. Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said. Grundberg said the Houthis had already been holding 23 other U.N. staff arrested since 2021, bringing the number of detained U.N. personnel to at least 34. He also said one previously detained U.N. employee died in custody earlier this year.
In a statement, Guterres said he "strongly condemn[s] the arbitrary detentions of at least 11 U.N. personnel" and decried what he described as forced entry into U.N. premises and the seizure of property. Houthi authorities did not immediately comment on the raids or the detentions, and the motives for targeting the U.N. staff remained unclear.
The detained workers were described by U.N. agencies and news organizations as staff and aid workers who have provided essential services throughout Yemen's years-long humanitarian crisis. The U.N. and partner agencies have been a primary conduit for food, health care and child protection in areas where public services have collapsed, particularly in Houthi-controlled territory.
The detentions complicate ongoing U.N. efforts to negotiate humanitarian access and political talks aimed at ending a decade of conflict in Yemen. Since 2014, fighting between the Iran-aligned Houthi movement and a Saudi-led coalition backing the internationally recognized government has displaced millions, driven food insecurity to catastrophic levels at times and damaged critical infrastructure, including ports and hospitals.
U.N. officials repeatedly stress that U.N. personnel and humanitarian workers must be allowed to operate safely and without political interference. Arrests and restrictions on aid operations risk interrupting lifesaving deliveries of food, medicine and other assistance to communities already suffering from acute malnutrition, outbreaks of disease and lack of basic services.
Grundberg, who has been facilitating talks and ceasefire arrangements between Yemeni parties, called for the immediate release of the detained staff and urged authorities to respect international norms governing humanitarian operations. The U.N. has not provided details about the identities of the detained personnel or their nationalities, citing security and privacy considerations.
The raids and detentions mark the latest instance of rising tensions between the Houthis and international aid organizations operating in areas under their control. U.N. agencies have in recent years warned that access restrictions, seizures of property and detentions of staff undermine relief efforts and put civilian lives at risk.
Diplomatic officials and humanitarian groups will be watching whether sustained international pressure, including from U.N. member states, leads to the swift release of the detained workers. For now, aid agencies say their operations continue where possible, even as the safety of their staff and the security of their offices face new and direct challenges in Houthi-controlled areas.