Houthis arrest nine more UN staff in Yemen, sparking condemnation

Yemen's Houthi rebels have detained nine more United Nations employees as part of a long-running crackdown on the organisation, according to the UN chief's office.

The latest detentions mean that a total of 53 UN staff have been arbitrarily held by the Houthis since 2021, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement late on Monday.

There were no details about the timing or the circumstances behind the latest incident.

"These actions hinder the UN’s ability to operate in Yemen and to deliver critical assistance. The secretary-general remains deeply concerned about the safety and security of United Nations personnel in Yemen," Dujarric said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is calling for "the immediate and unconditional release" of all UN staff as well as workers from other international organisations and diplomatic missions who have been detained by the rebels, the statement said.

The Tehran-backed Houthis have previously said that their crackdown on the UN and other international groups is linked to suspected members of an alleged espionage network.

In August, the rebels raided UN offices in the capital Sanaa and detained 19 staff following an Israeli strike that killed the prime minister of the Houthi-run government and several other ministers. They later released Lana Shukri Kataw, the deputy director of UNICEF in the country.

The crackdown forced the UN to suspend its operations in the Houthi stronghold of Saada, a province in northern Yemen, following the detention of eight staff in January.

Yemen plunged into civil war in 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, forcing the internationally recognised government into exile.

The war has reached a stalemate in recent years, and the rebels reached a deal with Saudi Arabia that stopped their attacks on the kingdom in return for ceasing the Saudi-led strikes on their territories.

However, the Houthis are engaged in tit-for-tat attacks with Israel over its war with Hamas in Gaza. They have also attacked ships sailing in the Red Sea off Yemen over allegations of links to Israel.