Houthi terrorists stormed the offices of the World Food Programme and UNICEF in Sanaa on Sunday, detaining at least 11 UN staff members in a response to an Israeli airstrike that eliminated their prime minister, Ahmed al-Rahawi, following months of sending missiles and drones on Israel's cities, CNN reported. The raids targeted critical UN agencies, with local Houthi forces apprehending one WFP employee and multiple UNICEF workers, according to agency spokespersons cited by CNN.
Hans Grundberg, the UN special envoy for Yemen, strongly denounced the detentions and the forced entry into UN premises, labeling them a grave breach, CNN noted. He called for the immediate release of the detained staff. UN Secretary-General António Guterres reinforced this stance, declaring, "The personnel of the UN and its partners must never be targeted, arrested or detained while carrying out their duties for the UN," as quoted by CNN. Guterres pointed out that the Houthis have arbitrarily detained UN personnel, NGO workers, and others since 2021, highlighting a recurring pattern of hostility, CNN reported.
The World Food Programme and UNICEF are urgently engaging with local authorities to secure their staff's release, with spokespersons emphasizing that their top priority is the safety of their employees, CNN stated. While it remains uncertain whether the raids were directly linked to Israel's recent strikes, the Houthis have previously targeted international organizations, according to CNN. Moammar al-Eryani, the information minister of the UN-backed Yemeni government, condemned the Houthi actions, as reported by SABA NEWS.
On Thursday, an Israeli airstrike in Sanaa eliminated Ahmed al-Rahawi, the prime minister of the Houthi-led government, along with other key officials, the head of the Houthis' Supreme Political Council confirmed, promising vengeance, CNN reported. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that the strike marked "only the beginning" of Israel's campaign against the Houthis, who have launched missiles at Israel and attacked Red Sea vessels in solidarity with Gaza, CNN noted. He stated, "We are doing what no one has done before us, and this is only the beginning of the strikes on senior officials in Sanaa - we will get to all of them," CNN quoted him as saying.
Yemen has been divided since 2014, with the Houthis controlling Sanaa and much of the north, while a rival, internationally recognized government operates in the south. The Houthi raids on UN facilities underscore their defiance amid ongoing clashes with Israel and their broader regional objectives, CNN reported.
