Ahmed al-Rahawi, the prime minister of Yemen’s Houthi rebels | File Image
By Valentine Amanze
The United Nations (UN) has condemned the Iran-backed Houthi rebels’ forceful entry into its premises and the detention of 11 personel in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, on Sunday August 31, 2025.
It also called for the immediate release of the affected employees.
The rebels stormed the offices the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations children’s agency (UNICEF) on Sunday morning, spokespersons for the agencies told CNN in separate statements.
The incident occured a day after Israel said that it killed the prime minister of the rebel-controlled government.
The UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, has confirmed that at least 11 UN personnel were detained, adding that he “strongly” condemns the detentions, as well as the forced entry into UN premises.
António Guterres, the UN’s secretary-general, also condemned the Houthis’ actions, calling for “the immediate and unconditional release” of those detained by the rebel group.
Guterres lamented that others working for the UN, as well as people working with NGOs, civil society and diplomatic missions, had been arbitrarily detained in Yemen since 2021.
“The personnel of the UN and its partners must never be targeted, arrested or detained while carrying out their duties for the UN,” he said.
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“The United Nations will continue to work tirelessly to secure the safe and immediate release of all arbitrarily detained individuals.”
The WFP and UNICEF are “urgently seeking additional information” from local authorities, their spokespersons told CNN, adding: “Our immediate priority is the safety and well-being of our staff.”
It is unclear whether the raids were related to Israel’s attacks.
The Houthis have previously targeted the UN and other international organizations.
The information minister with the UN-backed government, Moammar al-Eryani, strongly condemned the Houthis’ actions, Yemeni state news agency SABA NEWS reported.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that the strikes that killed Ahmed al-Rahawi, the prime minister of Yemen’s Houthi rebels, are “only the beginning” of his country’s campaign against the group.
Al-Rahawi was killed alongside other Houthi officials in a strike on Sanaa on Thursday, the head of the Houthis’ Supreme Political Council confirmed, vowing revenge for the attack.
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