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Houthis continue action on UN, detain 2 women workers; 1 lost a newborn last month
The Ansar Allah security forces detained the two female workers of the World Food Programme from their Sanaa homes.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels intensified their crackdown against the United Nations in the country on Saturday, detaining two additional workers connected to the world body in the capital Sanaa.
The Ansar Allah security forces detained the two female workers of the World Food Programme from their Sanaa homes and took them to an undisclosed location, the Associated Press reported, quoting UN officials.
The fresh detention comes just a week after the Houthis stormed the UN compound in Sanaa and detained staff. They also detained two others and raided the homes of several UN staffers on Thursday and Friday.
The official quoted in the AP report said that one of the two women detained on Saturday was in critical condition after she gave premature birth and her baby died earlier this month. Her brother, also a UN worker, was briefly detained earlier this month but was released as his health deteriorated due to kidney failure.
Saturday's detentions were the latest in a series of events now forcing the world body to reassess how it operates in the war-torn country.
Houthi crackdown on the UN in Yemen
The Houthis have repeatedly raided UN offices, and earlier this month, they seized assets, including communications equipment. The security forces detained over two dozen UN workers before allowing 12 international workers to leave Yemen on Wednesday, according to the UN.
At least 55 UN staff members are currently detained by the Houthis, as well as many workers with other non-government and civil society personnel from various diplomatic missions.
The crackdown has forced the UN to suspend its operations in Saada province in northern Yemen following the detention of eight staffers in January. The UN also relocated its top humanitarian coordinator in Yemen from Sanaa to the coastal city of Aden, which serves as the seat for the internationally recognised government.
The rebels have repeatedly alleged that the detained UN staffers and those working with other international groups and foreign embassies were spies. The UN fiercely denied the accusations.
