Yemeni Government: Houthi Abduction of UN Staff Is Organized Terrorism – The International Community Faces a Real Test
The Yemeni government has strongly condemned the latest campaign launched by the Iran-backed Houthi militia over the past 24 hours, targeting seven employees of the United Nations and the World Food Programme in the Houthi-held capital, Sana’a. The incident came just hours after the UN evacuated its international staff from Houthi-controlled areas.
Minister of Information Muammar Al-Eryani stated that this systematic escalation once again proves the Houthis’ disregard for international law and humanitarian conventions, adding that the group treats international organizations and their staff as hostages and tools for political blackmail.
The statement noted that the recent raids and mass abductions are part of a long series of violations against employees of UN agencies and humanitarian organizations. The militia had previously stormed offices, detained staff, and forced hundreds of local workers to sign pledges not to leave Houthi-controlled areas, effectively placing them under house arrest.
The government reiterated its repeated warnings about the dangers facing local employees in Houthi-held territories, urging the UN to take immediate steps to ensure their safe evacuation and relocation, while holding the organization responsible for any negligence that endangers their lives.
The statement emphasized that the international community now faces a real test of its commitment to international and humanitarian law, stressing that continued silence grants the Houthis de facto immunity to carry out further acts of terror against humanitarian workers.
The Yemeni government called on the UN to move beyond verbal condemnations and take concrete measures to protect its local staff, ensure the immediate release of all abductees, and reassess its operations in Houthi-controlled areas in coordination with the legitimate government, safeguarding the neutrality and independence of humanitarian work.
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