Sun Oct 19 16:57:13 UTC 2025: ## UN Demands Release of Staff After Houthi Raid in Sanaa
Sanaa, Yemen – The United Nations has condemned the detention of approximately two dozen of its employees by Houthi forces following a raid on a UN facility in Sanaa on Sunday. According to UN spokesperson Jean Alam, the detained staff include at least five Yemeni nationals and fifteen international personnel. A further eleven UN staff were briefly questioned and later released.
Houthi forces reportedly confiscated communication equipment, including computers, phones, and servers, from the facility in Sanaa’s Hada district. The detained employees are said to work for various UN agencies, including the World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF, and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The incident marks a significant escalation in the Houthi crackdown on the UN and other international aid organizations operating in Houthi-controlled territories. According to UN figures, over 50 staff members have now been detained.
The Houthis have repeatedly accused detained UN staff and NGO employees of espionage on behalf of the United States and Israel, allegations the UN vehemently denies.
In response to previous detentions, the UN suspended operations in Saada earlier this year and relocated its top humanitarian coordinator in Yemen from Sanaa to Aden.
UN Secretary-General spokesperson Stephane Dujarric issued a statement Saturday, calling for an end to the “arbitrary detention” of UN colleagues. The statement was in response to Houthi leader Abdelmalek al-Houthi’s accusations of a dismantled “spy cell” linked to humanitarian organizations, which Dujarric called “dangerous and unacceptable.”
Since August 31, at least 21 UN personnel have been arrested, alongside 23 current and former employees of international NGOs, according to the UN.
The ongoing conflict in Yemen has created one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, leaving millions dependent on aid for survival. The UN is now demanding the immediate release of its detained staff and the restoration of full control over its facilities in Sanaa.
First Piper 