Yemeni Houthi rebels supported by Iran detained 20 more United Nations (UN) officials. This was announced by the UN Resident Coordinator in Yemen, Jan Alam, according to the Associated Press.
According to reports, the officers were detained at a UN facility in the southwestern part of the Yemeni capital, Sana'a. It is reported that the Houthis also stormed the UN office in another district of the city the day before.
According to Jan Alam, five Yemenis and 15 foreign specialists are among those detained. On the same day, after interrogation, the rebels released 11 UN personnel, but the fate of the rest remains unknown.
"We are trying to resolve this serious situation as quickly as possible. We are in constant dialogue with the Houthis and other parties to release all employees and restore full control over our institutions in Sana'a," said Jean Alam.
According to an anonymous UN official who told the Associated Press, all communication devices at the facility - phones, servers, and computers - were confiscated during the Houthi raid.
It turned out that the detainees are employees of several UN agencies - the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
In recent months, the security situation in Yemen has worsened, and the situation for employees of international organizations is becoming increasingly dangerous. Such actions of the Houthi rebels are strongly condemned by the international community.
UN representatives are currently continuing negotiations to ensure the safety of all prisoners and to ensure compliance with international humanitarian law.
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