Hajjah —  Armed Houthi militias launched a coordinated raid targeting the offices of three international humanitarian organizations in the city of Hajjah, the capital of Hajjah Governorate in northwest Yemen. 

The operation marks a troubling escalation in the group’s crackdown on foreign aid agencies operating in Houthi-controlled territories.

According to local sources and rights monitors, the offices of Oxfam, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), and the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) were stormed by Houthi forces on Sunday. 

Staff members were reportedly interrogated, and documents, computers, and communication devices were confiscated during the raids.

The incident comes just one day after a separate Houthi incursion in Sana’a, where 20 United Nations staff members were detained, including 15 international personnel and five Yemeni nationals. 

Though they were later released following Omani mediation, the broader pattern of detentions and intimidation has raised alarm among humanitarian actors and UN officials.

A spokesperson for Yemen Monitor described the Hajjah raids as part of a “systematic campaign to restrict the operations of international organizations and exert control over humanitarian aid distribution.” 

No injuries were reported, but the psychological impact on staff and the disruption of aid services have drawn widespread condemnation.

The targeted organizations have played a vital role in delivering food, water, shelter, and protection services to thousands of displaced and vulnerable families in Hajjah, one of Yemen’s poorest and most conflict-affected regions.

International observers and human rights groups have called on the Houthi leadership to cease its harassment of aid workers and respect the neutrality and independence of humanitarian operations. 

The United Nations has reiterated its demand for the protection of humanitarian personnel and unfettered access to affected populations.

As tensions rise, the raids threaten to further isolate Houthi-controlled areas from critical international support, deepening the humanitarian crisis in northern Yemen.