UN Suspends Yemen Aid Over Detention of Staff by Houthis

The United Nations (U.N.) has announced a suspension of all humanitarian operations in a significant Houthi-controlled region in northern Yemen. This decision follows the arbitrary detention of U.N. staff, creating what the organization deems hostile conditions for aid work.

According to U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq, Secretary-General António Guterres made this choice after the Houthis detained eight more U.N. staff members in late January. This brings the total number of arrested personnel since 2021 to 24. The Houthis' actions violate an agreement reached with the U.N. in December, which stipulated a halt to detaining U.N. staff and a plan for releasing those currently in custody.

Violation of Agreement

Less than a month after this agreement, the group arrested eight more workers on unsubstantiated charges of espionage and foreign intervention. This has prompted the U.N. to take the unprecedented step of suspending operations. The organization stated that this "extraordinary and temporary measure seeks to balance the imperative to stay and deliver with the need to have the safety and security of U.N. personnel and its partners guaranteed."