UN temporarily halts operations in Yemen after staff detentions by Houthis

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres directed UN agencies to halt activities due to the “absence of the necessary security conditions and guarantees,” according to a statement from the spokesperson’s office following Houthi’s detaining “eight additional United Nations personnel, including six working in Sa’ada governorate.”

“This extraordinary and temporary measure seeks to balance the imperative to stay and deliver with the need to have the safety and security of the UN personnel and its partners guaranteed,” said the statement, adding that “such guarantees are ultimately required to ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of our efforts.”

The UN urged the Houthis to ensure the release of the detained staff, emphasizing that the pause allows time “to arrange the release of arbitrarily detained UN personnel and ensure that the necessary conditions are in place to deliver critical humanitarian support.”

“The United Nations remains fully committed to assist the millions of people in need across Yemen,” it noted.

Yemen remains mired in one of the world’s worst humanitarian and economic crises, fueled by nearly a decade of war.

The war in Yemen has claimed over 150,000 lives and has led to one of the worst humanitarian crises globally, resulting in tens of thousands of additional deaths.