The Yemeni government has called on the United Nations to relocate its offices to the temporary capital, Aden, after Houthi rebels took control of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sana'a and detained dozens of employees from international organizations. The Yemeni Minister of Information stated in a statement published by the official news agency "Saba" late Tuesday: "We reiterate our call to the UN mission, all UN agencies, and international organizations operating in Yemen... to immediately move their headquarters to the temporary capital, Aden, and the liberated areas, to ensure a conducive environment for their humanitarian work safely and more effectively to serve those in need and to protect the lives of their workers."
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, confirmed on Tuesday that the Houthis stormed the commission's office in Sana'a on August 3 and forcibly seized documents and property, taking keys to the office. The Yemeni minister noted that "this dangerous development comes after nearly two months of a wave of abductions carried out by the Houthi militia." In June, the Houthis detained 13 UN employees, including six working at the commission's office, as well as over 50 staff from non-governmental organizations and one from the embassy, according to the UN.
The Houthis claimed they arrested members of an "American-Israeli espionage network" operating under the guise of humanitarian organizations, accusations that the UN has categorically denied. The commission's office had notified the rebels on July 30 of its "suspension of operations" in Sana'a for security reasons. Two staff members from the office are being held in an undisclosed location, one since November 2021 and the other since August 2023.
The Yemeni minister accused the international community of adopting a "lax stance in dealing with the Houthi militia over the past years," demanding "strong and deterrent actions" and an "immediate start to classifying it as a global terrorist organization." The work of humanitarian agencies is essential in Yemen, where more than half of the population, totaling approximately 30 million people, relies on aid. The conflict has made Yemen one of the poorest countries in the Arabian Peninsula, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands and creating one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. The intensity of the fighting has significantly decreased since a truce was announced in April 2022, although it ended six months later.
