Houthis storm UN office in Yemen
In the past, Houthi fighters have already taken two UN employees captive. Now, they storm a United Nations office in Sanaa. The militia allied with Iran takes dozens of people hostage in the process.
The Houthis in Yemen have stormed a United Nations office in the capital, Sanaa. The militia took 13 UN staff and over 50 humanitarian workers, as well as a diplomatic staff member, according to the UN Human Rights Office in Geneva. Some were also picked up from their homes away from the office.
These incidents occurred on August 6 and 7. Initially, silence was maintained in hope of a swift resolution. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, urged the authorities to release the detainees immediately, as they are being held without contact with the outside world.
The Houthi militia, militarily and politically aligned with Iran, did not respond to requests for comment. They control the capital and larger parts of the north. The Houthis have previously taken two UN human rights officers captive in November 2021 and August 2023.
UN employee forced to make false confession
One of them was forced to confess to alleged intelligence activities, as seen in online videos, according to Türk. He condemned this as a violation of human rights, stating that such confessions are baseless.
Yemen has been in a devastating conflict since late 2014, between the government, Houthi rebels, and their allies. Saudi Arabia supports the government in its fight against the Houthis, who overran the country in 2014 and entrenched themselves in the north. The United Nations considers the conflict in Yemen a humanitarian catastrophe, pushing the country to the brink of famine.
The United Nations Human Rights Office in Geneva expressed concern over the latest hostage situation at a United Nations office in Sanaa, led by the Houthi militia. The UN is calling for the immediate release of all hostages, including UN staff and humanitarian workers, who were taken captive during the attack.
