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Houthi rebels raid UN premises in Yemen, detain at least 11 people

Published by Global Banking & Finance Review

Posted on August 31, 2025

1 min read

· Last updated: January 22, 2026

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(Reuters) -Yemen's Houthi rebels raided United Nations offices in the Yemeni capital Sanaa and detained at least 11 personnel, according to media reports on Sunday. Reuters could not immediately

Houthi Rebels Storm UN Offices in Sanaa, Detain 11 Personnel

(Reuters) -Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi rebels raided United Nations offices in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Sunday and detained at least 11 U.N. personnel, the body said.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the Houthis forcibly entered World Food Programme premises, seized U.N. property and attempted to enter other U.N. offices in the capital.

The raid followed an Israeli strike on Sanaa on Thursday that killed the prime minister of Yemen's Houthi-run government and several other ministers.

U.N. Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said in a separate statement that the 11 staff were detained in both Sanaa and the port city of Hodeidah.

UNICEF, the U.N. Development Programme and the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees are among other U.N. agencies with offices in one or both of the two cities.

Grundberg said the detentions were in addition to 23 other U.N. staff previously detained, some since 2021, and one who died in detention this year.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols, Mohammed Ghobari, Yazhini MV and Rhea Rose Abraham; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Diane Craft)

Key Takeaways

  • Houthi rebels raided UN offices in Sanaa, Yemen.
  • At least 11 UN personnel were detained by the rebels.
  • The raid followed an Israeli strike on Sanaa.
  • UN condemns the detention of its staff.
  • Detentions add to previous UN staff held since 2021.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened during the Houthi raid on UN offices?
Houthi rebels raided United Nations offices in Sanaa, detaining at least 11 personnel and seizing U.N. property.
Who commented on the Houthi raid?
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the raid, stating that the Houthis forcibly entered World Food Programme premises.
How many U.N. staff have been detained by the Houthis?
In addition to the 11 recent detentions, there are 23 other U.N. staff who have been detained, some since 2021.
What was the context leading to the raid?
The raid followed an Israeli strike on Sanaa that killed the prime minister of Yemen's Houthi-run government and several ministers.
Which U.N. agencies have offices in Sanaa and Hodeidah?
UNICEF, the U.N. Development Programme, and the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees are among the agencies with offices in these cities.

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