Yemeni authorities reported on Friday that 11 Yemeni employees of United Nations agencies have been detained by the country’s Houthi rebels under unclear circumstances. The detentions come as the Houthis face increasing financial pressure and airstrikes from a U.S.-led coalition, as well as heightened tensions in the Red Sea corridor due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
In addition to the U.N. staffers, employees of various aid groups have also been taken into custody across four Houthi-controlled provinces: Amran, Hodeida, Saada, and Sanaa. The detained U.N. employees include six from the human rights agency, and one each from the special envoy’s office, development arm, UNICEF, the World Food Program, and UNESCO.
U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric expressed concern over the detentions and stated that the organization is actively seeking clarification from the Houthi authorities regarding the circumstances surrounding the detentions. The U.N. is pursuing all available channels to secure the safe and unconditional release of its personnel as quickly as possible.
Several aid groups, including Save the Children and CARE International, have also reported staff members being detained without explanation. Human rights organizations and activists have called on the Houthis to immediately release those detained, warning that failing to do so could further isolate Yemen from the international community.
The detentions come amid growing economic pressures faced by the Houthis, who have sought to introduce a new coin into the Yemeni currency, the riyal, in an apparent attempt to address financial challenges. The move has been criticized by Yemen’s exiled government in Aden and other nations, who accuse the Houthis of resorting to counterfeiting.
Meanwhile, the Houthis have been targeting shipping throughout the Red Sea corridor, potentially as a means to deflect attention from their domestic problems and the stalemated war. The rebels have faced increasing casualties and damage from U.S.-led airstrikes in recent months.
The war in Yemen, which has been ongoing for nearly a decade, has claimed the lives of more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. The Houthis have been accused of employing child soldiers, indiscriminately laying mines, and imprisoning thousands during the conflict.
As tensions continue to escalate, the international community is closely monitoring the situation in Yemen, with concerns growing over the potential for a complete economic collapse and further human rights abuses.
Credit: AP
