Aden- Yemen’s Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism, Moammar al-Eryani, accused the Iran-backed Houthi militia of practicing what he described as “hostage diplomacy” by abducting UN and international organization employees and using them as tools for political extortion, echoing tactics employed by Iran and terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda.

In a press statement, al-Eryani revealed that the release of UNICEF Deputy Representative Luna Shukri, a Jordanian national abducted after the Houthis stormed the organization’s office in Sana’a on August 31, was achieved through a deal involving the evacuation of wounded Houthi fighters and the return of stranded leaders abroad. He said this case exposed “the militia’s true face and its blatant disregard for international laws safeguarding UN staff and humanitarian workers.”

The minister pointed out that dozens of UN employees remain in Houthi prisons, including about 22 detained since last August, in what he described as one of the largest waves of targeting humanitarian staff in Yemen. He warned that such practices undermine humanitarian neutrality, threaten aid operations, and put millions of Yemenis at risk, while also encouraging other terrorist groups in the region to adopt similar tactics.

Al-Eryani held the UN fully responsible for the safety of its staff, stressing that the organization’s refusal to relocate its main offices to the interim capital, Aden, had made them easy prey for Houthi blackmail.

He called on the UN Secretary-General to establish an independent investigation into the abductions, submit its findings to the Security Council, impose sanctions on Houthi leaders involved, and formally designate the group as a terrorist organization for engaging in hostage-taking and violating international law.