Following an Israeli airstrike that killed Yemeni Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al-Rahawi and several senior officials, the Houthi rebellion has detained at least 11 UN staff members across Yemen. The raids targeted UN offices in Sanaa, Hodeidah, and other regions, with the UN special envoy condemning the arbitrary detentions as a violation of humanitarian principles. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern over the militants’ seizure of World Food Programme facilities and their attempt to access other agency offices. Hans Grundberg, the UN special envoy for Yemen, criticized the detentions as a breach of the fundamental obligation to protect UN personnel’s safety and ability to carry out their essential work in Yemen. According to Grundberg, the Houthis were already holding 23 UN staff, some since 2021, with one dying in custody earlier this year. The group previously accused detained aid workers of involvement in an American-Israeli spy network, an allegation the UN rejects.
Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, Houthi forces have expanded their operations beyond Yemen, launching drones and missiles at Israel and targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea in what they describe as solidarity with the Palestinian cause. Israel has responded with repeated airstrikes on Houthi positions in Yemen, including last week’s attack on the presidential palace in Sanaa. Following the death of al-Rahawi, the Houthis vowed to escalate their campaign against Israel, with Major General Mohammed Nasser Al-Atifi, the Houthi defense minister, claiming that America is targeting civilians in Yemen, just as it is doing in Gaza. The Houthi group has a long history of resistance against foreign military intervention in Yemen, including the ongoing Saudi-led coalition’s involvement in the country’s civil war. The group previously accused detained aid workers of involvement in an American-Israeli spy network, an allegation the UN rejects.
Humanitarian organizations have expressed deep concern over the escalating violence and its impact on the civilian population. The Houthi group has been accused of using aid convoys for military purposes, leading to a crisis in delivering humanitarian assistance to the already suffering population of Yemen. The UN has repeatedly called for the protection of aid workers and the safe delivery of humanitarian aid to the country’s people. In recent months, the conflict has resulted in significant civilian casualties and widespread destruction, with millions of Yemenis in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. Despite the ongoing violence, the Houthi group continues to claim that their actions are justified as part of their struggle against foreign occupation and the Saudi-led military coalition.