Houthis demand US, UK workers leave areas under their control

Yemen’s Houthis have informed the UN and international organisations working in Sanaa that “officials and workers who hold American and British citizenship must depart” from the areas they control within a month.

As of 23 January 2024, the US and the UK have targeted 91 sites belonging to the Houthis in Yemen [Yasin Demirci/Anadolu Agency]

This came in a memorandum sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the de-facto government to the UN Resident Coordinator Office and the offices of humanitarian organisations working in Yemen on 20 January.

According to the document, officials and workers with dual American and British citizenship must prepare to leave the country within a maximum period of 30 days from the date of the letter. A reminder will be issued to them 24 hours before the deadline for departure.

The Houthi authorities called on the UN Coordinator office and humanitarian organisations “not to recruit any employees who hold dual American or British citizenship during this period.”

This comes as the US and UK carry out air strikes on what they claim to be Houthi targets in Yemen after the group began targeting Israel-bound ships in the southern Red Sea. The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, have said they will only stop the targeted action when Israel stops its genocidal bombing campaign in Gaza.

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