Key facts
- The UN stated that Houthi rebels seized a humanitarian facility in Mocha, Yemen.
- All UN personnel had previously departed the facility in Mocha.
- Eight Yemeni staff members relocated from Mocha to Aden, Turbah, and Taiz.
- Houthi security forces raided a UN compound in Sanaa, detaining 15 international and five Yemeni staff.
- All staff in the Sanaa compound were reported safe.
- The UN has suspended operations in Saada province due to previous detentions.
The United Nations reported that Houthi rebels seized a humanitarian facility in Mocha, Yemen. Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, stated on Friday that the facility housed UN agency staff, but all personnel had safely departed prior to the seizure. Eight Yemeni staff members who were in the area relocated to Aden, Turbah, and Taiz before the Iran-allied group's advance.
Separately, Houthi rebels raided a UN facility in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, on Saturday, according to a UN official. Jean Alam, a spokesman for the UN resident coordinator for Yemen, said Houthi security forces entered the compound, where 15 UN international staff members and five Yemeni staff were present. All staff in the Sanaa compound were reported safe and accounted for. The rebels confiscated communications equipment, including phones, servers, and computers, from the facility.
The UN stated that humanitarian personnel, premises, and assets must be respected and protected at all times. This latest incident follows a pattern of Houthi actions against international organizations operating in rebel-held areas. The UN had previously suspended operations in Saada province in January after the detention of eight staff members and relocated its top humanitarian coordinator from Sanaa to Aden.