Yemen Monitor / Geneva / Exclusive:
The United Nations has described the espionage accusations made by the Houthi group — which controls Yemen’s capital, Sanaa — against UN staff as “deeply concerning and extremely serious,” calling for the immediate and unconditional release of its detained employees, whose number has now reached 54.
Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi claimed on Thursday that UN employees were acting as spies for the US and Israel.
The UN categorically rejected these allegations, stating that labeling humanitarian workers as “spies” or “terrorists” not only undermines the integrity of relief efforts but also puts lives at risk in conflict zones worldwide.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said during a press briefing that such “false accusations” endanger the safety of UN personnel globally, describing them as “completely unacceptable.”
The arrests, which targeted employees from various UN agencies, come amid the Houthis’ growing hostility toward international organizations — particularly as the group intensifies its rhetoric and actions in support of Palestinians in Gaza and escalates its military operations in the Red Sea, further fueling regional and domestic tensions.
