The United States has condemned the detention of Yemeni staff of the American embassy in Sanaa by the Houthi movement and demanded their immediate release.

According to a press note, dozens of Yemeni citizens and their family members have been detained and mistreated by the Houthi rebels because they worked for the US in a caretaker capacity since the embassy in Sanaa closed in 2015. “These actions are an affront to the entire international community,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said while calling for an immediate release of all Yemeni employees of the US. 

In a statement, Blinken said, “The Houthis’ unprovoked abuse of these Yemeni citizens is a gross disregard of diplomatic norms, as is the Houthis’ flagrant breach of the compound used by the U.S. Embassy prior to 2015.”

He added, “The Houthis must immediately release unharmed all Yemeni employees of the United States, vacate the Embassy compound, return seized property, and cease their threats. The United States is actively engaged in this matter and is consulting closely with our international partners, including fellow members of the United Nations Security Council.”

The US removed Houthis from the terror list in February, a month after Joe Biden officially assumed Presidential Office. However, in the light of ongoing attacks, the US Treasury Department said on Thursday it has sanctioned senior Houthi military officer Saleh Mesfer Alshaer, citing what it called "unlawful tactics" deployed by him. The move came after Houthis stormed US Embassy in Sanaa in early November.