ADEN, Yemen, Oct. 20 — Yemen’s Houthi group continues to detain 20 UN employees at a UN residential compound in the capital Sanaa, a source from the UN Office in Yemen told Xinhua on Monday.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the Houthis released 11 local employees late Sunday from the UN Common Accommodation Facility on Hadda Street, which armed Houthi intelligence personnel had stormed on Saturday.
Twenty other staff members — 15 foreigners and five Yemenis — remain detained inside the compound for a third day. According to the source, Houthi intelligence officers remain stationed inside the facility, where they continue to interrogate the detained staff. The employees have been allowed limited contact with their families under strict supervision.
The United Nations has not yet issued an official statement regarding the ongoing detentions. On Saturday, a Yemeni security official told Xinhua that Houthi forces stormed the UN compound, seized employees’ mobile phones, and interrogated staff members.
The official said the operation appeared to be part of a broader Houthi campaign targeting UN and humanitarian staff in areas under its control, amid rising tensions with international aid organizations.
The heightened tension follows a speech on Thursday by Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi, who alleged the existence of “dangerous spy cells” within humanitarian organizations operating in Yemen.
In his latest televised speech, the Houthi leader claimed that his group possessed “conclusive information” linking a “World Food Program cell” to espionage activities that allegedly assisted Israel in killing senior Houthi leaders in Sanaa in August.
Relations between Houthi authorities and international aid organizations have deteriorated sharply in recent months, particularly following the Israeli airstrikes in August.
In response to the recent developments, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday expressed deep concern over what he called “dangerous and unacceptable” accusations by the Houthis against UN personnel.
He demanded the immediate release of all detained UN staff and urged Houthi authorities to ensure the safety and protection of all humanitarian workers operating in Yemen.
Dozens of UN staff and aid organization personnel have been held by the Houthis since June 2024, despite repeated UN appeals for their release. (Xinhua)
