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Sanaa, Yemen – Eleven United Nations employees were abducted Sunday from World Food Program facilities in Sanaa by Houthi authorities. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the abductions and demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the detained personnel.
This incident brings the total number of U.N. workers held by the Houthis to 23, some of whom have been detained since 2021, according to Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special envoy for Yemen. Grundberg stressed that these arrests violate the Houthis’ obligation to respect and protect the safety and dignity of U.N. personnel, who operate under principles of neutrality, impartiality, independence, and humanity.
The WFP provides critical food assistance to vulnerable populations in Yemen, a nation grappling with a devastating near 12-year civil war. The abductions follow Israeli airstrikes on Houthi-controlled Sanaa on Friday, which resulted in the death of Houthi prime minister Ahmed al-Rawai and several other ministers.
Both Guterres and Grundberg confirmed that Houthi forces also confiscated U.N. property during the raid, though the specifics of the seized items remain undisclosed. They reiterated their demand for the unconditional release of all detained U.N. personnel, as well as staff from NGOs, civil society organizations, and diplomatic missions. Guterres emphasized the importance of guaranteeing the safety, security, and inviolability of U.N. personnel, property, and premises at all times.