Houthi Forces Kidnap 50 UN Staff Members in Yemen, Reports Say

More than 50 employees of international organizations in Yemen have been kidnapped by Houthi forces from their homes in the city of Sana'a. This was reported by Arab News.

Yemen's Minister of Human Rights Ahmed Arman stated that 18 Yemenis working for UN agencies have been abducted, along with at least 32 staff members from the National Democratic Institute, which is funded by the United States.

Arman reported that the Houthi raids continued from Thursday morning through to 4 AM on Friday. The rebels invaded the homes of Yemenis working for foreign organizations, according to Arman.

The ministry also mentioned that on May 31, the Houthis kidnapped an entire family from their home in Sana'a. The following day, searches were conducted at two more houses.

The kidnappings occurred after a Houthi-controlled court sentenced a Yemeni businessman who collaborated with foreign aid organizations to death, along with 43 others on charges of espionage.

Human rights groups, journalists, and officials have condemned the attacks, warning that the group's actions could lead humanitarian organizations to withdraw from the country, depriving Yemenis of crucial aid.

Balegh Al-Mahlaf, the information advisor at the Yemeni embassy in Cairo, stated that the Houthi campaign against international organization employees is connected to sanctions imposed by the Central Bank on financial institutions based in Sana'a, which have not relocated to Aden.

As reported by Ukrinform, the UN has called for the immediate release of its 11 staff members detained by the Houthis in Yemen.