UN Halts Aid Operations After Staff Detention in Yemen

The United Nations suspends humanitarian aid efforts in Yemen following the detention of its staff, raising concerns over the safety of relief workers in the conflict-torn country.

On Monday, the United Nations declared a suspension of its humanitarian operations in Yemen’s Houthi rebel stronghold due to the detention of eight more U.N. staff members, hindering efforts to address one of the world’s most critical humanitarian crises.

In its statement, the U.N. characterized the choice to halt all operations and programs in northern Saada province as “extraordinary,” due to a lack of “necessary security conditions and guarantees.”

In recent months, the Houthis have detained numerous United Nations personnel, along with individuals associated with aid organizations, civil society groups, and the previously functional U.S. Embassy in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen.

A representative for the Houthis did not quickly reply to requests for comments.

The U.N. stated that the pause in operations is intended to give both the Houthis and the organization an opportunity to “facilitate the release of arbitrarily detained U.N. staff and ensure essential conditions are established for delivering critical humanitarian aid” in rebel-controlled areas.

The most recent group of detained U.N. staff comprises six individuals who were working in Saada, a region situated on Yemen’s northern border with Saudi Arabia, impacting the operational capacity of the U.N.

The United Nations also halted all travel to areas controlled by the Houthis last month.

The conflict in Yemen has led to over 150,000 deaths among both combatants and civilians.

Since 2014, the Iranian-supported Houthis have been involved in a conflict against Yemen’s internationally recognized government, which is backed by a Saudi-led coalition. This struggle began when the Houthis took over Sanaa and most of northern Yemen.