Sana'a - Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday denounced the arbitrary detention of nine more United Nations workers in Yemen by Houthis, along with the seizure of assets and facilities in areas under Houthi control.

“Most recently, the Houthi de facto authorities detained nine additional UN personnel, bringing the total number of arbitrarily detained UN staff to 53 since 2021,” spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

“These actions hinder the UN’s ability to operate in Yemen and to deliver critical assistance,” the statement continued.

The UN last month relocated its top humanitarian coordinator in Yemen from the capital Sanaa, which is under Houthi control, to the government-held city of Aden.

Yemen’s internationally recognized government established its headquarters in the southern city of Aden after the militia drove them out of Sanaa in 2014.

The move came after the UN in August said the Iran-backed Houthis had seized at least 11 of its employees as part of a wave of detentions after an Israeli strike killed the militia’s prime minister.

“The United Nations will continue to work tirelessly, and through all available channels, to secure the safe and immediate release of all arbitrarily detained personnel, as well as the return of UN agency offices and other assets,” Dujarric said.