UN Threatens to “Completely Halt Humanitarian Work” in Houthi-Held Areas Amid New Wave of Arrests
Yemen Monitor / Geneva / Exclusive:
UN Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned, on Saturday, the Houthi group’s detention of an additional 10 UN staff members in Yemen. He warned that the continuation of these violations is rendering humanitarian aid delivery operations in areas under the group’s control “unsustainable.”
This came in a press statement by UN Secretary-General’s Spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, who stated that the de facto Houthi authorities detained 10 new UN staff members on December 18th, bringing the total number of UN personnel detained by the group to 69.
The statement indicated that these arbitrary detentions pose substantial obstacles to the continuity of humanitarian work, directly impacting millions of Yemenis who rely on life-saving aid.
Guterres clarified that these practices restrict the ability of international organizations to reach the most vulnerable groups in Houthi-controlled areas.
The Secretary-General renewed his call on the Houthis for the immediate and unconditional release of all detained UN staff, NGO workers, and diplomatic mission personnel.
He also demanded that the group rescind the referral of UN staff for “judicial prosecution,” stressing the necessity of respecting international law and the privileges and immunities granted to UN personnel under international conventions.
Dujarric confirmed that the United Nations continues its intensive efforts with member states and the UN Security Council, in addition to direct communication channels with the Houthis, to secure the release of all detained colleagues. He expressed the UN’s full solidarity with the victims’ families and affected communities in Yemen.
This latest Houthi escalation is an extension of a widespread crackdown that began in mid-2024, targeting staff of UN agencies and international and local organizations in Sana’a and other areas. The group accuses these employees of working within “espionage cells”—accusations the UN categorically denies. This approach reflects the Houthis’ desire to assert complete control over the flow of humanitarian aid and coerce international organizations to serve their political and military agenda, amid international warnings of a complete collapse of the relief system in northern Yemen.
