The Houthi group, backed by Iran and designated as a terrorist organization by several countries, has imposed a travel ban on all foreign staff working for international and UN organizations in Sana’a, according to informed sources. The ban, which took effect on Monday, August 5th, 2024, will remain in place until further notice.
Journalist Faris Alhemyari, a correspondent for China’s Xinhua news agency in Yemen, revealed the ban through a social media post, noting that it coincides with a Houthi demand for all officials and staff of international and UN organizations to attend a meeting in Sana’a with the “Supreme Council for the Management and Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and International Cooperation (SCMISHA),” a Houthi-affiliated body.
Alhemyari mentioned that he obtained an internal UN document from a diplomatic source confirming that SCMISHA has summoned all UN staff in Sana’a to a meeting at an external location. The document also indicates that the UN’s security management system is reviewing the location, security arrangements, and safety protocols for UN staff attending such meetings.
Since early June, the Houthi group has escalated its crackdown, arresting dozens of staff members from UN agencies, international organizations, and foreign embassies in Sana’a. On June 24th, 2024, Yemeni Minister of Human Rights and Legal Affairs Ahmed Arman reported that over 70 individuals, including five women, have been detained.
The internationally recognised Yemeni government has repeatedly urged UN agencies and international organisations to relocate their headquarters to Aden, the temporary capital of Yemen, citing the increasing arrests of aid and humanitarian workers in Houthi-controlled areas.
