Yemen’s Houthis detain UN employees suspected of spying for Israel, US

A Houthi-run government official in the Yemeni capital, Sana’a said Thursday that several United Nations employees recently detained by the group are suspected of spying for Israel and the United States.

The statement came after UN envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg confirmed on Sunday that the Houthis had arrested at least 11 UN staff members.

According to Yemeni sources, the arrests followed last week’s Israeli airstrike on Sana’a, which killed Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al-Rahwi along with several ministers and government officials.

A source in the Houthi-controlled Foreign Ministry, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “the arrested UN employees are accused of spying for the American and Israeli aggression. Those proven guilty will be referred to trial.”

Among those detained are reported to be staff from the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF.

Yemeni security sources said the Houthis also detained dozens of others on Saturday “on suspicion of collaborating with Israel.”

The arrests come in the wake of the assassination of al-Rahwi and nine other senior officials in the Israeli airstrike on Sana’a.

Since the outbreak of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023, the Houthis have repeatedly launched ballistic missiles and drones toward Israel, framing their actions as solidarity with the Palestinian resistance.

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