Sanaa – Armed members of the Houthi movement have raided offices of several United Nations agencies in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, detaining multiple staff members in a sweeping crackdown .

The raids occurred just one day after the Houthis confirmed the death of their Prime Minister, Ahmed al-Rahawi, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting senior rebel officials during a government workshop in Sanaa. 

The timing of the arrests has raised concerns that the detentions may be part of a retaliatory campaign or internal purge following the high-profile assassination.

According to Human Rights Watch and statements from the U.S. State Department, at least nine UN employees and several civil society workers were detained across Houthi-controlled areas, including Sanaa, Hodeidah, Saada, and Amran. Witnesses report that detainees were taken without formal charges and have been denied contact with their families or employers.

The United Nations has suspended staff movements in northern Yemen and demanded the immediate release of all detainees. UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the actions as a violation of international law and a threat to humanitarian operations.

“These arrests not only endanger humanitarian workers but also risk paralyzing aid efforts in a country already facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises,” said Niku Jafarnia, a researcher at Human Rights Watch.

The Houthis have previously been accused of detaining aid workers and interfering with humanitarian operations. However, the scale and coordination of this latest campaign—coming on the heels of the Prime Minister’s assassination—suggest a broader political motive.

International aid organizations are now reassessing their presence in Houthi-controlled territories, warning that the crackdown could further destabilize humanitarian access and deepen Yemen’s ongoing crisis.