UN announced today that Yemeni Houthi rebels released the Yemeni national staff members
Security concerns are high and a Serious Situation in Sanaa continues to Shake UN operations in Yemen, after Yemeni Houthi rebels Yielded on Yesterday’s Youth detentions.
The United Nations announced on Monday, October 20, that the five Yemeni national staff members detained by Houthi rebels during a raid on a UN residential compound in Sanaa over the weekend have been released. Furthermore, the 15 international staff, including UNICEF’s representative for Yemen, Peter Hawkins, who were restricted inside the compound, are now reportedly “free to move” within the facility. Houthi security personnel have also reportedly vacated the UN compound in the capital, which they had forcibly entered on Saturday, October 18.
This latest incident marks a continuation of a protracted and escalating campaign by the Iran-backed Houthi group against international humanitarian and diplomatic organizations operating in the rebel-controlled areas of Yemen. The UN has consistently and vehemently denied the Houthi leadership’s repeated, unsubstantiated claims that aid workers are part of an “espionage cell” linked to foreign powers.
Escalation and Response
The Saturday raid on the UN Common Accommodation Facility in the Hadda neighborhood of Sanaa saw Houthi forces storm the compound, confiscate communications equipment, and detain personnel. At the time of the raid, there were 15 international staff in the facility, and an initial 16 national staff were detained, with 11 being released after questioning.
The total number of UN and affiliated personnel currently or recently held by the Houthi group is significant. UN Secretary-General António Guterres’s spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, noted in a statement that the UN continues to call for an end to the “arbitrary detention of 53 of our colleagues,” a figure which includes current and former staff members detained in a series of round-ups over the past year.
The staff detained in the weekend raid belonged to various vital UN agencies, including:
• The World Food Programme (WFP)
• The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
• The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
In response to the detentions, UN Secretary-General António Guterres reportedly engaged with leaders and foreign ministers from countries with influence in the region, including Iran, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia, urging them to use their leverage to secure the immediate release of all personnel. The detention of staff severely hampers humanitarian operations in Yemen, a country mired in a decade-long civil war and facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. The UN has previously been forced to suspend operations in Houthi strongholds, such as Saada province, following earlier detentions.
Headline Points
• Five Yemeni UN Staff Released:
The national staff members detained by Houthi forces on Saturday were freed on Monday, October 20.
• International Staff Movement Eased:
The 15 international UN personnel, including UNICEF Representative Peter Hawkins, are now “free to move” inside the Sanaa compound, though their ability to leave the city is unclear.
• Houthi Security Vacates Compound: Houthi forces have withdrawn from the UN residential compound in Sanaa following the weekend’s unauthorised entry and raid.
• Accusations Denied:
The UN fiercely refutes the Houthi leadership’s ongoing, evidence-free accusations that humanitarian workers are spies.
• Dozens Still Detained:
The UN continues to call for the release of over 50 personnel and associates who have been arbitrarily detained by the Houthis in separate incidents dating back as far as 2021.
• High-Level Diplomacy:
UN Secretary-General Guterres spoke with Iranian, Yemeni, and Saudi officials to press for the staff’s release.
The United Nations maintains that the safety and security of its staff and the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid are paramount, calling for the unconditional release of all personnel.
