UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called for the immediate and unconditional release of 11 UN staff arrested by Houthi authorities in Yemen.
The workers were detained by security forces in raids on the World Food Programme (WFP), children's charity Unicef and the World Health Organization (WHO), news agencies and the UN said.
Sunday's raids took place in the capital, Sanaa, and port city of Hudaydah, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said.
Grundberg mentioned that the Houthis had already been holding 23 other UN workers arrested since 2021.
Houthi authorities have not commented on Sunday's arrests.
In a statement on Sunday, Guterres said he strongly condemn[s] the arbitrary detentions of at least 11 UN personnel by the Houthis. He also condemned what he described as the forced entry into WFP and other UN premises, as well as the seizure of property.
It remains unclear why the Houthis targeted UN workers, given that the organization has been providing crucial lifelines for ordinary Yemenis amid one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
One of the previously arrested individuals died in detention earlier this year, according to Grundberg.
The Houthis have also detained roughly 20 Yemeni employees of the US embassy for the past three years.
Despite sustained engagement and assurances sought over the last year, the arbitrary detention of UN staff, NGO workers and civil society has continued, emphasized Grundberg.
These detentions severely impede broader efforts to deliver assistance and advance peace in Yemen.
Earlier this year, the UN suspended all movement in Houthi-held areas of Yemen after several personnel were detained.
The latest arrests emerge amid heightened tension following an Israeli attack that killed the Houthi prime minister and other top officials. This strike has been described as the most significant blow against the Houthis by Israel, which has been retaliating against missile attacks by the group since November 2023.
The Iran-backed Houthis have controlled Yemen's capital and northwest regions since they ousted the internationally recognized government during a civil war in 2015. The conflict has led to over 150,000 fatalities, displacing 4.8 million people, with 19.5 million in critical need of aid.
