Houthi Rebels Storm UN Offices in Sanaa, Detain Staff Amid Escalating Yemen Crisis
Houthi Rebels Storm UN Offices in Sanaa, Detain Staff Amid Escalating Yemen Crisis
Houthi rebels have stormed the offices of two United Nations agencies in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, and detained staff members, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict. The raids on the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF offices occurred on Sunday, just a day after Israel confirmed it had killed Ahmed al-Rahawi, the prime minister of the Houthi-controlled government, along with other officials.
Spokespersons for both UN agencies confirmed that their offices were “entered by local security forces” on Sunday morning. A WFP staff member and several UNICEF staff members were detained. The agencies are urgently seeking information from local authorities, with their immediate priority being the safety and well-being of their personnel. While the direct link between the raids and the Israeli strikes remains unconfirmed, the timing suggests a potential retaliatory action.
The Israeli strike that killed al-Rahawi took place in Sanaa on Thursday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that these strikes are “only the beginning” of a broader campaign against the Iran-backed Houthi group, which regularly launches missiles at Israel and targets vessels in the Red Sea in response to Israel’s offensive in Gaza. Netanyahu has pledged that the Houthis will “pay a very heavy price for their aggression.” The UN-backed Yemeni government’s information minister, Moammar al-Eryani, has strongly condemned the Houthis’ actions against the international bodies. Yemen has been divided since 2014, with Sanaa and much of the north under Houthi control.
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