At least nine Yemeni staff members from various United Nations agencies have been detained by Yemen's Houthi rebels, with the circumstances surrounding their detentions still unclear. The rebels, who seized control of the Yemeni capital nearly a decade ago, have recently come under financial strain and have come under fire from airstrikes by a US-led coalition. His actions have also included targeting shipping in the Red Sea corridor and cracking down on internal dissent, including sentencing 44 people to death.
Those detained include employees of the United Nations human rights agency, its development program, the World Food Program and the office of its special envoy. The wife of one of the arrested individuals has also been arrested. The Mayyun Organization for Human Rights has identified other aid groups whose employees have been arrested by the Houthis in four provinces.
The organization has condemned these actions as a violation of the privileges and immunities granted to United Nations employees under international law. Activists, lawyers and others have also called for the immediate release of the detainees, saying failure to do so would further isolate Yemen from the world.
The Houthi rebels, who have the support of Iran, have not yet recognized these advances. The reasons for the crackdown remain unclear, but it comes at a time when the Houthis are struggling with economic problems, including a lack of currency. This has led them to introduce a new coin into the Yemeni currency, a move that has been criticized by the exiled government of Yemen and other nations as counterfeiting.
The ongoing war in Yemen has killed more than 150,000 people, including combatants and civilians, and led to one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Houthi rebels have also been the target of US-led airstrikes for several months, leading to increased casualties and damage. An investigation has found that the rebels have used harsh tactics, including torture and the use of child soldiers. The Houthis have previously detained four other UN staff, two in 2021 and two in 2023, who remain in their custody.
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