On August 3, Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, also known as Ansar Allah, stormed the United Nations Human Rights Office in the capital Sana’a, seizing documents, furniture, and vehicles, and taking employees hostage. This follows a series of abductions by the Houthis in June, where they detained 13 UN staffers, including six from the Human Rights Office, and over 50 other workers from NGOs. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk condemned the actions, calling for the immediate release of detained staff and the return of all seized assets, stressing that such actions impede the UN's humanitarian mission. The United Nations' Human Rights Office has since suspended operations in Houthi-controlled areas but continues to work in regions under the internationally recognized government. The Houthis claim their actions are against an 'American-Israeli spy network,' allegations strongly denied by the UN.