Yemen’s Houthi rebels raid UN facility
Iranian-backed Houthi rebels raided a UN facility in Yemen’s capital Sanaa, but all staff were reported safe, a UN official said.
Jean Alam, spokesman for the UN resident coordinator for Yemen, said Houthi security forces entered the UN compound in Sanaa on Saturday.
He told The Associated Press that 15 U.N. international staff were on site at the time of the raid and that “according to the latest information, all staff at the compound are safe, accounted for and have been in contact with their families.”
Rebels raided UN offices in Sanaa on August 31 and detained 19 staff, according to the UN. They later released the deputy director of the UNICEF office in the country, but are still holding more than 50 people, including aid groups, civil society and the now-closed US Embassy in Sanaa.
“The United Nations is taking all necessary measures and is in contact with relevant authorities and counterparts to ensure the safety and security of all personnel and property,” Alam said. he said.
Another UN official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the raid, said the building was run by the UN. The official said the workers belong to several UN agencies, including the World Food Programme, UNICEF and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Saturday’s raid was the latest in a long-running crackdown by the Houthis against the UN and other international organizations working in rebel-held areas in Yemen.
The crackdown forced the UN to suspend operations in Saada province, a Houthi stronghold in northern Yemen, after eight staffers were detained in January. The UN also moved its top humanitarian coordinator in Yemen from Sanaa to the coastal city of Aden, which serves as the headquarters of the internationally recognized government.
Yemen descended into civil war in 2014 when the Houthis captured Sanaa and most of northern Yemen and forced the internationally recognized government into exile.
A coalition led by Saudi Arabia and including the United Arab Emirates intervened the following year in an attempt to restore the government. The war has reached a stalemate in recent years, and the rebels reached a deal with Saudi Arabia that halted their attacks on the kingdom in exchange for halting Saudi-led attacks on their territory.
