Houthis Detain 11 UN Staff in Yemen Raids

Yemen's Houthi rebels have raided United Nations offices in Sanaa and Hudeyde, detaining at least 11 UN staff members, including employees from UNICEF and the World Food Programme, amid escalating tensions following an Israeli airstrike that killed the Houthi prime minister. UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg condemned these arbitrary detentions and the forced entry into UN premises, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all detained personnel, noting that the Houthis are already holding 23 UN workers from previous years. The Houthis accused detained individuals of espionage, allegations strongly rejected by the UN. This crackdown follows a decade-long civil war that has created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with the UN suspending some operations in rebel-held areas due to security concerns. The World Food Programme emphasized that the safety and security of humanitarian workers are essential to life-saving aid efforts. The Houthis have tightened security across Sanaa after the death of their prime minister and vowed to intensify attacks on Israel, further complicating the fragile situation in Yemen.