**Iranian-Backed Houthi Rebels Detain Two Dozen U.N. Employees in Sanaa**
*CAIRO (AP)* — Iranian-backed Houthi rebels detained two dozen United Nations employees on Sunday, a day after raiding another U.N. facility in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, a U.N. official confirmed.
Jean Alam, spokesperson for the U.N. resident coordinator for Yemen, told The Associated Press that the staffers were held inside a facility located in Sanaa’s southwestern Hada neighborhood. The detainees include five Yemeni nationals and 15 international staff members. Additionally, the rebels released 11 other U.N. staffers after questioning.
Alam stated that the U.N. is in contact with the Houthis and other relevant parties to “resolve this serious situation as swiftly as possible, end the detention of all personnel, and restore full control over its facilities in Sanaa.”
A second U.N. official, who spoke anonymously due to the sensitivity of the situation, revealed that the Houthis confiscated all communications equipment from the facility, including phones, servers, and computers. The detained employees work for multiple U.N. agencies such as the World Food Program, UNICEF, and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The Houthis have been conducting a prolonged crackdown against the U.N. and other international organizations operating in rebel-controlled areas of Yemen, including Sanaa, the coastal city of Hodeida, and the rebel stronghold of Saada province in the north. Dozens of individuals, including over 50 U.N. staffers, have been detained so far.
Earlier this year, a World Food Program worker died in detention in Saada. The Houthis have repeatedly accused the detained U.N. staffers and workers from other international groups and foreign embassies of espionage—allegations that the U.N. vehemently denies, citing lack of evidence.
The ongoing crackdown forced the U.N. to suspend its operations in Saada province following the detention of eight staff members in January. Furthermore, the U.N. relocated its top humanitarian coordinator in Yemen from Sanaa to the coastal city of Aden, which serves as the seat of the internationally recognized Yemeni government.
The situation remains tense as efforts continue to secure the release of all detained personnel and restore the U.N.’s full operational capacity in Yemen’s conflict-affected areas.
https://wtop.com/world/2025/10/yemens-houthi-rebels-detain-20-un-employees-and-confiscate-equipment/