Yemen: Houthis Seize UN Rights Office in Sanaa

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have stormed the United Nations’ Human Rights Office in Sanaa, seizing documents, furniture, and vehicles, Arab News reported yesterday citing the UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk.

This incident, which occurred on August 3, marks a significant escalation in the Houthis’ crackdown on UN personnel and foreign aid workers in the region.

The Houthis, engaged in a civil war with Yemen’s internationally recognized government since 2014, have intensified their actions, detaining over 60 individuals associated with the UN and NGOs in June alone. Among the detainees were six workers from the Human Rights Office. The rebels claimed to have arrested members of an “American-Israeli spy network,” releasing purported confessions from some detainees.

The ongoing conflict has resulted in over 150,000 deaths and has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. The UN has suspended operations in Houthi-controlled areas, while still functioning in territories held by the recognized government.