The Yemeni government has renewed its call for the United Nations to relocate its offices to the temporary capital, Aden, following the takeover of the UN Human Rights Office in Sana’a by the Houthi group, also known as “Ansar Allah.” The group reportedly arrested dozens of employees working for international organizations.
Yemeni Information Minister Muammar Al-Eryani, in a statement published by the Yemeni News Agency “Saba,” condemned Ansar Allah’s actions, describing the raid on the UN Human Rights Office in the “occupied capital” Sana’a as an extension of the group’s broader campaign to restrict international organizations, ignoring the severe humanitarian situation in areas under their control.
Al-Eryani highlighted that this alarming development comes nearly two months after the Houthi militia launched a wave of kidnappings, targeting dozens of UN and international organization staff, including four women, in Sana’a and other regions under their control.
He accused the international community of adopting a lenient stance toward Ansar Allah over the years and urged immediate action to classify the group as a global terrorist organization.
In June, Ansar Allah detained 11 UN employees, including six working at the Human Rights Office, as well as more than 50 staff from NGOs and another individual from an embassy, according to the United Nations. Ansar Allah claimed that the detainees were part of a “US-Israeli spy network” operating under the guise of humanitarian organizations, allegations that the UN has strongly denied.
Yemen has experienced a fragile truce since October 2, 2022, when the UN brokered an agreement between the Yemeni government and Ansar Allah to extend and expand a six-month ceasefire. Ansar Allah has controlled most of the central and northern provinces, including Sana’a, since September 2014. Meanwhile, a Saudi-led Arab coalition launched military operations on March 26, 2015, in support of the Yemeni army’s efforts to regain these areas from the group.
