Yemen has been thrust deeper into turmoil after Houthi raids on United Nations offices in Sanaa and a wave of Israeli strikes that killed senior rebel leaders. The twin crises have converged at a moment when more than half of Yemen’s population depends on aid, raising fears that the country’s long civil war is becoming entangled with the wider Israel-Hamas conflict and regional rivalries.
Houthi rebels on Sunday raided the offices of several United Nations agencies in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital, detaining at least 11 employees. The offices of the World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF, and the World Health Organization (WHO) were among those targeted. Spokespersons for WFP and UNICEF, Abeer Etefa and Ammar Ammar, confirmed that security forces entered their premises and detained staff members.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the UN special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, strongly condemned the raids. They called for the immediate and unconditional release of all detained personnel. Guterres also criticised the forced entry into WFP premises, the seizure of UN property, and attempts to storm other UN offices in Sanaa.
According to UN officials, armed forces questioned staff in parking areas as part of the crackdown.
The raids mark the latest episode in a long-running Houthi campaign against the UN and other international organisations operating in areas under rebel control. In the past, the Houthis have detained dozens of UN staff as well as employees of aid groups, civil society organisations, and the now-closed US embassy in Sanaa. Some UN personnel have been held since 2021 and 2023, with one reported to have died in detention earlier this year.
Such actions severely impede efforts to deliver humanitarian assistance in a country already enduring one of the world’s worst crises. In January, the UN suspended operations in the Houthi stronghold of Saada after eight employees were arrested, underlining the risks faced by aid agencies.
The raids came days after a major Israeli strike in Sanaa on August 28 that killed the Houthi prime minister, Ahmed al-Rahawi, along with several cabinet members. Among those killed were Foreign Minister Gamal Amer, Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed al-Medani, Electricity Minister Ali Seif Hassan, Tourism Minister Ali al-Yafei, Information Minister Hashim Sharafuldin, and a deputy interior minister, Abdel-Majed al-Murtada. According to Houthi officials, the leaders were meeting at a workshop to review government performance.
The strike represented a significant blow to the rebels, who are backed by Iran. The head of the Supreme Political Council, Mahdi al-Mashat, vowed vengeance, while Houthi leader Abdel-Malik al-Houthi denounced Israel’s “record of horrific terror” and pledged continued operations in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Security was tightened across Sanaa and dozens of people were reportedly arrested on suspicion of collaborating with Israel.
The killing of Rahawi formed part of Israel’s broader campaign against the Houthis, who have launched attacks on Israel and shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the strikes were “only the beginning” and promised that all senior Houthi leaders would be targeted. Defence Minister Israel Katz had earlier voiced support for such operations.
Israeli strikes in Sanaa on August 24 had already killed 10 people and wounded more than 90, hitting Houthi military positions and the presidential palace. The subsequent killing of Rahawi marked an escalation that brought swift retaliation in the form of the Houthi raids on international organisations.
The timing of the detentions has been widely interpreted as an apparent security crackdown in response to the Israeli attacks. Grundberg, the UN envoy, expressed grave concern at Israel’s strikes in Houthi-controlled areas and urged de-escalation, warning that Yemen cannot afford to become a battleground for a wider regional conflict.
The spiral of violence threatens to worsen an already dire humanitarian picture. The detention of aid workers directly hampers the ability of organisations to deliver food, medical supplies and other essentials to millions of Yemenis. More than a decade of civil war has left the country’s infrastructure shattered and its people heavily reliant on international assistance.