Iranian-backed Houthi rebels detained two dozen UN employees Sunday (October 19, 2025), a day after they raided another UN facility in the capital Sanaa, a UN official said.
Jean Alam, a spokesman for the UN resident coordinator for Yemen, told The Associated Press that the UN staffers were detained inside the facility in Sanaa's southwestern neighbourhood of Hada.
Houthis detain nine more U.N. staff as part of Yemen crackdown
He said those detained Sunday (October 19) include five Yemenis and 15 international staff. He said the rebels released another 11 UN staffers after questioning.
He said the UN was contact with the Houthis and other parties “to resolve this serious situation as swiftly as possible, end the detention of all personnel, and restore full control over its facilities in Sanaa.”
