The United Nations (UN) has confirmed that Houthi rebels in Yemen are holding 20 of its staff members, including the Unicef representative in the country, following a raid on their compound in Sanaa.
According to UN officials, the incident occurred on Saturday when Houthi security forces made an “unauthorised entry” into the UN building. The staff members were said to be “safe and accounted for,” but remain detained inside the facility.
Jean Alam, spokesperson for the UN Resident Coordinator in Yemen, said on Sunday that five national staff and fifteen international employees are still being held.
“The UN is in touch with authorities in Sanaa, relevant member states, and the government of Yemen to resolve this serious situation as swiftly as possible,” Alam stated, urging the immediate release of all detained personnel and restoration of UN control over its compound.
Later, a UN official told AFP that Peter Hawkins, the Unicef representative in Yemen, is among those being held by the Houthis.
Rebels accuse UN workers of spying
Saturday’s raid follows a similar incident on August 31, when Houthi forces detained more than 11 UN employees. At that time, a senior Houthi official told AFP the detainees were suspected of spying for the United States and Israel.
In a recent televised address, Houthi leader Abdelmalek al-Huthi claimed his group had dismantled “one of the most dangerous spy cells,” allegedly linked to humanitarian organisations including the World Food Programme and Unicef.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric rejected the allegations as “dangerous and unacceptable,” calling for the end of what he described as the arbitrary detention of UN staff.
UN condemns escalating crackdown
The UN Secretary-General’s office said it continues to call for the release of 53 detained colleagues, many of whom were taken in areas controlled by the Iranian-backed Houthi movement.
In mid-September, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Yemen was officially transferred from Sanaa to Aden, the interim capital of the internationally recognised government, in an apparent response to mounting security concerns.
Since August 31, 2025, the UN reports that 21 personnel have been arrested, in addition to 23 current and former NGO workers already in detention.
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