Houthis Raid UN Offices in Yemen, Detaining Staff After Israeli Strike

In Yemen's capital, Sanaa, offices of the United Nations' food, health, and children's agencies were raided by Iran-backed Houthis. Eleven UN employees were detained during the raids. Security was tightened across the city following an Israeli strike that resulted in the death of the Houthi prime minister and several cabinet members.

According to a spokesperson for the World Food Program, security forces raided the agencies' offices on Sunday morning. Offices of the World Health Organization and UNICEF were also targeted. Armed forces entered the offices and questioned employees in the parking lot. UNICEF reported that a number of its staff members were detained, and the agency was seeking more information from the Houthis. Both the World Food Program and UNICEF were conducting a comprehensive headcount of their employees in Sanaa and other Houthi-held areas.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the detentions and the forced entry into UN premises. He called for the immediate and unconditional release of the detained personnel. These raids are part of a continuing crackdown by the Houthis against the UN and other international organizations operating in rebel-held areas. The group has previously detained numerous UN staffers and individuals associated with aid groups and civil society. The UN had suspended operations in Saada, a Houthi stronghold, after the detention of eight UN staffers in January.

The raids followed an Israeli strike on Thursday that killed the Houthi prime minister and several cabinet members. The strike was a significant blow to the Iran-backed rebels, who have been launching attacks on Israel and ships in the Red Sea in connection to the Israel-Hamas war. Among those killed were the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Local Development, the Electricity Minister, the Tourism Minister, and the Information Minister. A powerful deputy interior minister was also killed.

The Houthis stated that the targeted individuals were attending a "routine workshop" to evaluate government activities. A funeral for those killed was scheduled for Monday. The Defence Minister survived the attack, while the Interior Minister was not present at the meeting. The UN envoy for Yemen expressed concern over the recent strikes in Houthi-controlled areas, emphasizing the need for de-escalation. The strike occurred after the Houthis attacked Israel with a ballistic missile.