Yemen’s Houthis detain 20 UN staff in latest raid

Yemen's Houthi forces have launched a raid on a United Nations facility in Sanaa, detaining at least 20 employees from various UN agencies. The detained staff include Yemeni and international personnel working for the World Food Programme, UNICEF, and other humanitarian organisations.

According to the UN, those held are being questioned by Houthi authorities over allegations of spying on behalf of foreign governments, including Israel. However, the UN has denied these claims and is calling for the release of all detained staff members.

The incident marks the latest in a series of detentions by the Houthis against UN personnel and employees of international NGOs operating in Yemen. The United Nations has been working to resolve the situation through diplomatic channels, with the Secretary-General's spokesperson warning that the allegations are "dangerous and unacceptable".

As tensions escalate, the conflict in Yemen continues to pose one of the most severe humanitarian crises globally, with millions relying on aid for survival. Ten years of fighting have left the country heavily impoverished and struggling to recover.

The UN has expressed its concern over the raid and is urging the Houthi authorities to release all detained staff members, restore control over their facilities in Sanaa, and cease the arbitrary detention of its personnel.

Man this news is crazy ! So basically these Yemeni ppl are detaining 20 UN employees, right? And they're saying it's because of spying on Israel? But the UN says that's not true... what's going on here?

I don't get why this keeps happening. These people are just trying to help others in a war zone with aid and stuff. Can't they just do their job without being accused of being spies?

And 10 years of fighting has made Yemen super poor, like, millions are struggling to survive... it's heartbreaking . But what's even more sad is that we can't even get the Houthi authorities to let these people go. It's just so frustrating .

I hope the UN can sort this out with diplomacy and all that. We need to help these ppl, not make things worse .

omg what's happening with yemen this raid on a UN facility is so concerning like how many times have we seen detentions against UN personnel and NGOs? it's not fair to blame them for spying just because they're doing their job helping ppl in need... the humanitarian crisis there is heartbreaking & the fact that millions are still relying on aid is just devastating

Ugh, this is so sad . I mean, can you imagine being detained for doing your job? The fact that they're accusing these people of spying is just crazy talk . It's like, they're trying to disrupt aid efforts and help the people in Yemen who are already struggling so much. I'm all for the UN calling out Houthi authorities for this, it's totally unacceptable . We need to keep supporting organizations that are making a difference in these kinds of situations. And can we please just hope everyone is safe and released soon ?

omg this situation is so messed up like how can one group be accusing others of spying on behalf of foreign governments without any evidence ? it's just not fair to the innocent staff members who are being held captive they're just doing their job and helping people in need, but now they're caught in the middle of this conflict

and can we talk about the humanitarian crisis in Yemen for a sec ? it's like, millions of people are suffering and relying on aid for survival, and meanwhile there's all these power struggles going on between different groups it's just heartbreaking to think about what these people are going through

i feel bad for the UN staff members who were detained, they're not spies, they're just doing their job let's hope they get released soon and the situation gets resolved peacefully

OMG, can't believe this is happening again . Like, I get it, security is a big deal, but detaining staff from multiple UN agencies? It's just soooo not right . What if they're innocent? What if these allegations are totally false? Don't we want to help Yemen and the people there by working together with different organizations? Not to mention, this is just so stressful for everyone involved - UN employees, NGOs, and even foreigners who just want to do some good! Can't we all just get along and work towards a better future? Also, what's the point of detaining people if you're not going to charge them with anything? Just saying...

OMG, this is so worrying ! Detaining people just 'cause they work for UN agencies or NGOs? That's not how diplomacy works, guys . I mean, I get it, the conflict in Yemen is super dire and needs attention, but can't we find a way to resolve this without hurting innocent people? The fact that these staff members are being questioned about spying is just crazy talk . The UN's calls for release are totally justified – these people are just trying to help with aid and support .

I'm also super frustrated that the Houthi authorities aren't taking responsibility for their actions . It's like, we need to work together to find a solution, not point fingers and accuse others of spying . And what really gets me is how millions are suffering in Yemen because of this endless conflict . Can't we just try to help each other out instead of causing more problems?

This is just getting out of hand! 20 people, including Yemenis and internationals, are being held hostage by these Houthi rebels . The UN is saying they didn't spy on anyone, but who knows what's going on behind closed doors? The fact that there are allegations of foreign governments like Israel involved is a whole different ball game .

I mean, the conflict in Yemen has been ongoing for 10 years and it's still a total mess. People are suffering, aid is struggling to get through, and these Houthi forces are just making things worse . I hope the UN can use its diplomatic powers to get these people released ASAP .

But honestly, it feels like we're always seeing one crisis after another . Can't we focus on finding solutions for a change?

this whole situation with the houthis is super concerning... i mean, these allegations about spying are just crazy, but at the same time, it's hard to blame them for being suspicious when there's so much going on in the region... 10 years of fighting has left yemen in a really tough spot, and now this latest raid just adds to all the other problems they're facing... what i think is most important right now is that we try to find a way for everyone involved to calm down and focus on helping the people who are really suffering - not getting caught up in all the politics and blame-shifting...

Ugh, this is so worrying ... I mean, can't they see how serious it is? All these people, including Yemenis and internationals, working to help the country, just detained like pawns in a game. And for what? Alleged spying on foreign governments? That's just crazy talk ... The UN's saying it's not true, but does anyone really believe that?

I feel so bad for all these people stuck in this situation, unsure if they'll ever be released . And the bigger picture is, Yemen's already struggling to recover from a decade of war, and then you add this kind of thing... It's just not fair . The UN needs to keep pushing for their release, and hopefully, someone will listen .

Ugh, this is getting ridiculous! Can't believe the Houthis are at it again. Detaining people for spying? Like, come on. The UN is trying to help these people, provide food and aid, and they're treated like spies? It's not like they're sneaking around in the shadows. Just a bunch of overworked, underpaid humanitarian workers doing their job.

And what's with all these allegations of Israel? Like, that's just a smokescreen to distract from real issues. The Houthis are trying to make a point here, but it's just going to fuel the fire and hurt innocent people even more. We need to stand by our aid workers and tell the Houthis to calm down. This is just going to keep the cycle of violence going...

This is getting outta hand, fam. Like, I get it, tensions are high, but detaining 20+ UN employees? That's just ridiculous. I mean, what even are these allegations about spying on behalf of foreign governments? The UN has already denied them and they're still being held captive. It's like, come on guys. Can't we all just get along? And to make matters worse, the Houthi authorities think they can just hold people hostage for their own gain? No way, José! This is a major escalation of the conflict and it's only gonna make things worse for the people of Yemen. We need to support the UN in calling for the release of these staff members and some serious diplomatic efforts to resolve this situation ASAP.

Ugh, this is getting so frustrating ... I mean, can't these people just let the aid workers do their job? Like, they're trying to help people who are struggling to survive here... it's like, you'd think that would be a priority for anyone . And now, these Houthi folks are accusing them of spying? Without any evidence or anything ... it just doesn't add up. The UN is right, this is all super shady and unacceptable . I mean, what's next? Detaining more aid workers? It's like they're trying to make things worse over here . We need these people on the ground, helping those who really need it... not getting held hostage by some group that doesn't care about anyone but themselves .

This is getting crazy! The Houthis are like, totally escalating this situation and detaining UN staff for no reason . I mean, come on, 20 people detained just because they're working for the World Food Programme or something? It's not like they're spies, dude. The UN is saying it didn't happen, but I'm sure the Houthis will just keep asking questions and maybe even torture them .

This is all so frustrating, especially with Yemen still struggling to recover from a decade of war. We need to focus on getting aid to those people who really need it, not on letting politics get in the way . The UN's trying to use diplomatic channels to resolve this, but it's hard to see how that's gonna work when both sides are so entrenched .

We should be working together to help Yemen, not pitting different groups against each other . It's time for some real action, like getting those staff members out of there ASAP !

just read about this yemen situation and I'm really concerned about what's going on there . first of all, detaining people from UN agencies and international NGOs is a huge red flag, you know? it feels like they're being scapegoated for the bigger issues in the country. I mean, we all know that Yemen has one of the worst humanitarian crises out there, but this just makes things worse .

I think the UN is trying to remain neutral and calm about this whole situation, which is admirable, but at the same time it's hard not to feel like they're being held hostage by the Houthis. 20 people detained? that's a lot of lives being put on hold just because of some alleged spying claims .

I'm just worried that if we don't see some progress soon, things are going to get even more dire for those people in Yemen. millions are relying on aid for survival, and this situation is not helping one bit .

Ugh, another day, another UN facility getting breached by some extremist group . 20 employees, including Yemenis and internationals, just held captive for allegedly spying on behalf of foreign governments... give me a break . The UN is all like "nope, no claims to be made here" but I'm sure the Houthis will just keep spinning this narrative till they get what they want .

And can we talk about how the conflict in Yemen has turned into one of the worst humanitarian crises globally? It's a disaster , millions relying on aid for survival... what's the point of all these UN meetings and diplomatic channels if you're not gonna do anything concrete to help those people out?

"A house divided against itself cannot stand." We're seeing this in Yemen right now... The humanitarian situation is getting worse by the day, & detaining UN staff just makes things more dire . How can they expect anyone to trust them when they're treating people like this?