Houthi militia seizes UNICEF personnel during assault on humanitarian facilities
In the ongoing conflict in Yemen, the Houthi militia has been accused of kidnapping several United Nations staff members and storming the offices of two UN aid organisations.
According to reports, the Houthi militias are holding at least ten employees of the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF. The detentions took place around August 31, 2025, in the cities of Sanaa and Hudaida, areas under Houthi control. The Houthi have accused the kidnapped UN staff of spying for the USA in Yemen.
This is not the first time the Houthi have been accused of kidnapping UN staff in the war-torn country. Reports from March indicate that at least 23 UN staff and staff of other aid organisations are currently being held by the Houthi. Some of these individuals have been in detention for over three years.
Initially, neither the United Nations, WFP, nor UNICEF confirmed the kidnapping of their staff. However, as the situation unfolded, it was revealed that the Houthi militia had stormed the offices of WFP and UNICEF in Sanaa, Yemen.
The reason for the storming of the offices is currently unclear. The Houthi government, which is not internationally recognised, has not commented on the incident. Similarly, the Iran-backed Houthi have not commented on the Israeli bombings in Yemen, which reportedly took place in response to an airport attack in Yemen, but the connection between the two events is not clear.
The United Nations, WFP, and UNICEF have not confirmed any Israeli bombings in Yemen. The exact location to which the kidnapped employees were taken is unknown.
The Houthi have a history of such acts, which undermines the humanitarian efforts in the war-torn country. The international community has urged the Houthi to release the kidnapped UN staff and respect the neutrality of aid workers.
This development comes at a critical time for Yemen, where millions of people are on the brink of famine and require urgent humanitarian aid. The ongoing conflict and the actions of the Houthi militia are causing unnecessary suffering and hindering the delivery of much-needed aid.
