Houthi rebels hold more than 20 UN employees after raiding facility in Yemen's capital Sanaa, confiscating phones and servers

Iran-backed Houthi rebels have detained about two dozen UN employees in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, after they raided a UN facility, according to officials. The detainees include both Yemeni and international staff from various UN agencies. Supporters of Yemen’s Huthis pose with a portrait of Major General Mohammed al-Ghamari, the Huthis’ military chief, as they attend a protest condemning Israel a day after the Iran-backed group said Ghamari was killed in an Israeli strike earlier this year, in Sanaa on October 17, 2025. Huthis said on October 16, threatening revenge. His death was announced days after a ceasefire in the two-year Gaza war, during which the Huthis have repeatedly attacked Israeli targets and cargo ships in the Red Sea. (Photo by Mohammed HUWAIS / AFP)(AFP) Iran-backed Houthi rebels detained about two dozen United Nations employees on Sunday, a day after they stormed another UN facility in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, the Associated Press reported, citing a UN official. Jean Alam, spokesperson for the UN Resident Coordinator in Yemen, told the news outlet that the detentions took place at a UN facility in Sanaa’s southwestern Hada neighborhood. The group includes five Yemeni nationals and 15 international staff. Another 11 UN workers were released after questioning. UN calls for immediate release Alam said the UN is in contact with the Houthis and other parties “to resolve this serious situation as quickly as possible, end the detention of all personnel and restore full control of its facilities in Sanaa.” Communications equipment seized A second UN official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the rebels confiscated all communications equipment from the facility – including phones, servers and computers – as part of the raid, according to the news report. Several UN agencies affected The detained employees are believed to work for several UN agencies, including the World Food Program (WFP), UNICEF and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Pattern of repression in rebel-held areas. The Houthis have intensified their crackdown on UN and international organizations operating in rebel-held regions such as Sanaa, Hodeida and Saada province. More than 50 U.S. staff and other aid workers have been detained in recent months, according to the news release. Death of UN worker in custody Earlier this year, a World Food Program employee died while in Houthi custody in Saada, raising further concerns about the treatment of aid workers in Yemen. UN spying accusations rejected The Houthis have accused detained UN and international organization staff members of spying – claims the UN has strongly denied, calling them baseless and politically motivated. Operations shift amid rising risks After a wave of arrests in January, the UN suspended its operations in Saada province and moved its top humanitarian coordinator from Sanaa to the southern city of Aden, which is controlled by Yemen’s internationally recognized government.