UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called for the 'immediate and unconditional release' of 11 UN staff arrested by Houthi authorities in Yemen.
The workers were detained by security forces in raids on the World Food Programme (WFP), children's charity Unicef, and the World Health Organization (WHO), news agencies and the UN said.
Sunday's raids took place in the capital, Sanaa, and port city of Hudaydah, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg reported.
Grundberg noted that the Houthis already hold 23 other UN workers arrested since 2021. However, Houthi authorities have not commented on the latest arrests.
In a statement on Sunday, Guterres condemned the 'arbitrary detentions of at least 11 UN personnel' by the Houthis, as well as the forced entry into WFP and other UN premises, and the seizure of property.
The motivation behind the Houthis' targeting of UN workers remains unclear, especially since their staff and aid workers have provided essential support for ordinary Yemenis amidst one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
One detainee died in custody earlier this year, noted Grundberg, adding that the Houthis have also detained around 20 Yemeni employees of the US embassy for the past three years.
These arbitrary detentions severely hinder broader efforts to deliver assistance and promote peace in Yemen, Grundberg stated.
The recent arrests came amid heightened tension following an Israeli attack that killed top Houthi officials, marking the most significant Israeli impact on the group as it retaliates against missile attacks from the Houthis, who have been involved in the conflict in Gaza.
Since seizing control of Sanaa and parts of northwest Yemen during a civil war in 2015, the Houthis have faced significant challenges, resulting in over 150,000 deaths and displacing around 4.8 million people, with half of Yemen's population in urgent need of aid.
