UN Confirms 11 Employees Held Captive by Houthi Rebels in Yemen

Houthi rebels in Yemen have detained 11 United Nations international staff members, a U.N. spokesperson confirmed on Friday.

“We are very concerned about these developments, and we are actively seeking clarification from the Houthi de facto authorities regarding the circumstances of these detentions and most importantly to ensure the immediate access to those U.N. personnel,” said U.N. Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.

Among the detainees are two women and nine men. Six of the individuals work for the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), while the remaining five are affiliated with various U.N. agencies and the Office of the U.N. Special Envoy in Yemen, according to Mr. Dujarric.

Mr. Dujarric said that the U.N. is “pursuing all available channels to secure the safe and unconditional release of all of them, as rapidly as possible.”

The day before, a Yemini nonprofit reported that 18 people had been detained in armed raids in four regions. The organization, the Mayyun Organization for Human Rights, had attributed some of its information to anonymous sources.

According to the organization, the Houthi security and intelligence apparatus raided homes, and individuals were interrogated and had their mobile phones and computers confiscated before being taken away in military vehicles to undisclosed locations.

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“We strongly condemn this serious escalation, which constitutes a violation of the privileges and immunities granted to U.N. staff under international law,” Mayyun said in a statement. “These actions are oppressive and extortionate, aimed at gaining political and economic gains.”

Mayyun said that the armed operation was carried out simultaneously in four provinces, including Sanaa, Al Hudaydah, Saada, and Amran.

According to Mayyun, the abducted individuals include employees from various U.N. agencies as well as the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General to Yemen.

CARE International also confirmed that one of its employees had been detained.

“We are concerned about our colleague’s safety and are working to get more information in the coming hours and days,” Sulafah al-Shami, a CARE spokeswoman, told the Associated Press. “Until then, we have extended our support to the family and share their hope for his speedy release.”

The Epoch Times contacted CARE International for comment.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) demanded the immediate release of all U.N. employees and others and for the Houthis to stop arbitrarily detaining and “forcibly disappearing people.”

HRW reported that the Houthi de facto authorities haven’t revealed to the families of the detained where they are located and haven’t allowed them to communicate with their employers or families. HRW said this amounted to an enforced disappearance under international law.

According to the organization, the husband and two children, aged 3 and 9, of a woman who works with a civil society organization in Yemen was also detained.

“The Houthis should immediately release any U.N. employees and workers for other independent groups they have detained because of their human rights and humanitarian work and stop arbitrarily detaining and forcibly disappearing people,“ Niku Jafarnia, Yemen and Bahrain researcher at HRW said in a statement. ”Such detentions not only attack the rights of these individuals but also undermine essential humanitarian and human rights work in Yemen at a time when the majority of Yemenis do not have adequate access to basic necessities like food and water.”

The Iran-backed Houthi movement, which de facto rules Yemen, including the capital, has been involved in recent attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, retaliating against Israel’s military actions in Gaza.