UN says suspending operations in Houthi-controlled areas over staff detention

Aden, Jan 24 The United Nations announced on Friday that it has suspended all official operations in areas of Yemen under Houthi control following the detention of additional UN personnel.

In a statement, the UN said the suspension would remain in effect until further notice. It added that senior UN officials were in contact with Houthi leaders, demanding the immediate and unconditional release of all detained UN staff and partners.

Houthi authorities, who control much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, have not commented on the UN's decision or its demands.

A Yemeni government source, speaking to Xinhua on condition of anonymity, said the Houthis detained at least seven Yemeni employees working for international organizations on Thursday night. The detainees reportedly worked with agencies such as UNICEF and the World Food Programme.

In June 2024, the Houthi group conducted a mass detention campaign, targeting employees from UN, international, and local humanitarian organisations in Sanaa.

At the time, Houthi authorities claimed to have detained "key members of an American-Israeli spy network" allegedly linked to the US Central Intelligence Agency, Xinhua news agency reported.

The UN has consistently called for the release of those detained, including during a December 2024 visit to Sanaa by Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization, who sought to negotiate the freedom of UN staff held by the Houthis.

The Houthis have controlled Sanaa and much of northern Yemen since late 2014, waging war against Yemeni government forces. The conflict has led to what the UN describes as one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

Source: IANS