Houthi terrorists raid UN premises in Yemen, detain at least 11 people, reports say - Reuters, Jerusalem Post Staff

 

by Reuters, Jerusalem Post Staff

In recent days, Israel struck a group of top Houthi military officials in Sanaa who were watching the Houthi leader give a nationally televised speech.

 

People stand outside a fuel station one day after it was hit by Israeli airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, August 25, 2025.

(photo credit: Stringer/Reuters)

Yemen's Houthi terrorists raided United Nations offices in Sanaa and detained at least 11 personnel, according to media reports on Sunday.

Reuters could not immediately verify the information. A representative for the UN in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

World Food Programme spokesperson Abeer Etefa told the Associated Press that security forces raided the agency's offices in the Houthi-controlled capital of Sanaa on Sunday morning, adding that at least one staffer was detained in the city and others were reportedly detained in other areas.

World Health Organization and UNICEF offices were also raided, AP reported, citing a UN official and a Houthi official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Armed forces raided the offices and questioned employees in the parking lot, the report said, citing a UN official, who added that contact with several other WFP and UNICEF staffers was lost and that they were likely also detained.

Protesters, predominantly Houthi supporters, demonstrate in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, in Sanaa, Yemen August 15, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/KHALED ABDULLAH)

Hans Grundberg, the United Nations special envoy for Yemen, later confirmed that at least 11 UN personnel were detained, adding that he “strongly” condemns the detentions, as well as the forced entry into UN premises.

In a statement on X/Twitter, he added that "Yemen cannot afford to become a battleground for a broader geopolitical conflict. These attacks need to stop."

UN Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres called for the “immediate and unconditional release” of those detained.  

“The personnel of the UN and its partners must never be targeted, arrested, or detained while carrying out their duties for the UN,” he said. “The United Nations will continue to work tirelessly to secure the safe and immediate release of all arbitrarily detained individuals.”

WFP and UNICEF spokespeople told CNN that the organizations are “urgently seeking additional information."

“Our immediate priority is the safety and well-being of our staff," they said, as quoted by CNN. 

Israel strikes Houthi officials, PM

In recent days, Israel struck a group of top Houthi military officials in Sanaa who were watching the Houthi leader give a nationally televised speech. 

On Saturday, the Houthis' Supreme Political Council head, Mahdi al-Mashat, said that Houthi Prime Minister Ghalib al-Rahawi and several other ministers were killed in the Israeli strike last week. 

According to the Houthis, no senior military officials, who hold greater influence than those killed, were harmed in Israel’s strikes.

“We will take revenge, and what the enemy has achieved is nothing more than a chance success. To the Zionists, I say: dark days await you,” Mahdi al-Mashat, the head of the Houthis’ Supreme Political Council, said in a recorded speech released Saturday night.

The IDF said that it was preparing for any possible scenario. 

Yonah Jeremy Bob, Amir Bohbot, and Liron Haroni contributed to this report.

Reuters, Jerusalem Post Staff

Source: https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-865892

Follow Middle East and Terrorism on Twitter