In brief
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has urged for the immediate release of 11 UN personnel arrested by Houthi forces in Yemen. The workers were detained during raids on UN agencies in Sanaa and Hudaydah. This incident adds to a growing list of arbitrary detentions impacting humanitarian efforts in a country already facing a severe crisis. The Houthis have previously held other UN personnel since 2021, further complicating aid delivery efforts as Yemen suffers one of the worst humanitarian crises.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called for the immediate and unconditional release of 11 UN staff arrested by Houthi authorities in Yemen.
The workers were detained by security forces in raids on the World Food Programme (WFP), children's charity Unicef, and the World Health Organization (WHO), news agencies and the UN said.
Sunday's raids took place in the capital, Sanaa, and port city of Hudaydah, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said.
Grundberg mentioned that the Houthis had already been holding 23 other UN workers arrested since 2021.
Houthi authorities have not commented on Sunday's arrests.
In a statement, Guterres strongly condemned the arbitrary detentions, citing them as a severe hindrance to efforts delivering aid and advancing peace in Yemen.
The latest arrests occur amid heightened tensions following an Israeli attack that killed high-ranking Houthi officials, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict since a civil war erupted in 2015.
The situation remains dire in Yemen, with significant casualties and millions of people in need of humanitarian assistance.
