Houthis Escalate Restrictions on UN Staff in Yemen, Moving from Detention to House Arrest

Sanaa — The United Nations has condemned a series of escalating restrictions imposed by Houthi authorities on its personnel in Yemen, following a recent raid that resulted in the detention and subsequent house arrest of 20 UN staff members in the capital, Sanaa.
According to UN and media sources, armed Houthi forces stormed a UN compound in the Hada district on October 18, detaining 15 international staff and five Yemeni employees at gunpoint. The staff were confined to their rooms and denied freedom of movement for several days. Although they were later released from direct detention, they remain under de facto house arrest within the compound, unable to leave or resume normal operations.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric confirmed that the staff are now “free to move within the compound,” but emphasized that their confinement amounts to a serious breach of diplomatic norms and humanitarian principles. The incident is part of a broader pattern of harassment and arbitrary detention targeting UN and civil society workers in Houthi-controlled areas.
Human Rights Watch and other organizations have documented dozens of similar detentions since 2021, with at least 53 locally recruited UN staff still held at undisclosed locations. The safety and legal status of these individuals remain unclear.
The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, have not publicly commented on the latest raid. However, analysts suggest the move reflects growing tensions between the de facto authorities and international agencies, particularly amid increased scrutiny of Houthi governance and military activities.
The UN has called for the immediate and unconditional release of all detained staff, warning that such actions jeopardize humanitarian operations in a country where over 21 million people rely on aid to survive.
Diplomatic efforts are underway to resolve the standoff, but the incident has raised alarm across the humanitarian community, with fears that future raids or restrictions could further undermine relief efforts in one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.
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