Sources: Loss of Contact with Foreign Red Cross Staff after their Offices Stormed in Sana’a
Yemen Monitor / Sana’a / Exclusive:
Private sources revealed to “Yemen Monitor” a serious and unprecedented escalation by the Houthi group in the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, this time targeting the staff of one of the most prominent international humanitarian organizations, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
According to the sources, armed elements belonging to the group detained dozens of staff, including foreign personnel, inside the ICRC’s offices in Sana’a, and took them away for intensive interrogation sessions. This move comes within the context of an increasing campaign of persecution and restrictions on the work of UN and international organizations in areas controlled by the Houthis.
The sources reported that the operation began with a raid and search of the Red Cross office, during which the Houthis confiscated staff’s personal laptops, leading to a complete loss of contact with them for several hours, indicating an attempt to isolate them and control information. Although the group later returned communication phones to a limited number of staff, a state of anxiety and ambiguity still looms over the fate of the others.
Contact with the head of the ICRC mission in Yemen, Christine Siola, was lost for several hours, representing a direct escalation against the head of an international mission with immunity. This notable development indicates the sensitivity of the situation.
The sources revealed that a number of staff remain detained until now. Some detainees were released after their interrogation sessions concluded, but others are still under investigation, without knowing if the Houthis have transferred some of them to their secret locations, in a move aimed at exerting more pressure.
According to the sources, the head of the Technology Department at the ICRC was arrested for a full 24 hours before being released last Sunday, in a clear message imposing comprehensive control over all operational departments of the organization.
The sources spoke to “Yemen Monitor” on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
These detentions fall within an increasing pattern of Houthi restrictions on the work of UN and humanitarian organizations in Sana’a. The group is continuously accused of attempting to control aid, diverting it for political or military purposes, and appointing loyal staff to administrative positions within these organizations. These pressures aim to subjugate international and local personnel to the dictates of the group’s security and intelligence apparatus.
