Houthi insurgents apprehend at least eleven United Nations personnel, according to the UN's representative in Yemen.
In the war-torn nation of Yemen, tensions have escalated after the UN envoy, Hans Grundberg, strongly condemned the detentions of UN personnel and demanded their immediate and unconditional release. The arrests occurred following Israel's strike on Thursday that claimed the life of Yemen's Houthi prime minister, Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al-Rahawi, and other officials.
The Houthis, an Iran-backed rebel group, have been detaining UN workers since January, with the latest detentions on Sunday. Among those arrested are seven employees from the World Food Programme (WFP) and four from UNICEF. Their offices were searched, equipment was confiscated, and their colleagues were taken away during these raids.
The Houthis have also arrested dozens of people on suspicion of collaborating with Israel in Sanaa and other areas. This comes after the group vowed to intensify its attacks on Israel following Rahawi's death. The Houthis claimed arrests made in June 2024 included an American-Israeli spy network operating under the cover of humanitarian organizations, allegations emphatically rejected by the UN.
The UNICEF employees detained on Sunday are part of eleven UN staff members currently held by the Houthi militia. Prior to the latest detentions, the Houthis were already detaining 23 UN personnel, some since 2021 and 2023.
The WFP has expressed its disapproval of the arbitrary detention of humanitarian staff, stating that the safety and security of personnel is essential to carrying out life-saving humanitarian work.
Amidst this turmoil, a video posted online by a Yemeni comedian has caused an uproar. The comedian, Mohammed al-Adrei, was seen dancing to festive music in traditional clothes following the announcement of Rahawi's death. Many Yemeni citizens have denounced this celebration of violence, with one resident expressing dismay at those who celebrate following the cowardly and brutal strike on a ministerial meeting.
Another Sanaa resident denounced the attack as a blatant violation of Yemen's sovereignty. Khaled al-Rowaishan, a writer, expressed his disapproval of celebrating the death of any Yemeni killed by Israeli missiles on Facebook.
A decade of civil war in Yemen has plunged the country into one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with more than half of the population relying on aid. As tensions continue to rise, the international community urges for peace and the release of the detained UN personnel.
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