Houthis hold 20 UN staff in Sanaa raid
Yemen’s Houthi rebels detained 20 United Nations staff members on Saturday after raiding the organization’s compound in Sanaa, prompting international concern over threats to humanitarian work. UN spokesperson Jean Alam said five national employees and 15 international workers remain held inside the facility following what he described as unauthorized entry by Houthi security forces. UNICEF country representative Peter Hawkins was identified among the detained personnel by UN officials and two Houthi security sources.
The incident follows an earlier August raid when rebels stormed UN offices and arrested 11 employees on espionage allegations for the United States and Israel. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ spokesman Stephane Dujarric rejected the claims as dangerous and politically motivated while demanding the release of 53 UN workers and numerous aid organization employees held in Houthi areas. Rebel leader Abdelmalek al-Houthi claimed his forces exposed a spy network linked to humanitarian groups, but aid agencies strongly denied the accusations. Yemen’s decade-long civil war has created severe humanitarian needs affecting more than 21 million people.
