The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) condemns the raids conducted by Ansar Allah (Houthis) on the offices of United Nations agencies in Sana’a and Hudaydah on 31 August 2025, including the arbitrary detention of at least eleven UN personnel. These actions blatantly breach international law and directly assault humanitarian operations in a country grappling with one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
This latest wave of raids occurred in the aftermath of an unlawful Israeli airstrike that targeted and killed Houthi Prime Minister Ahmad al-Rahawi and ministers of justice, youth and sports, social affairs and labor, as well as the foreign minister, on 28 August 2025. Under international humanitarian law, it is unlawful to target political leaders with no command and control functions over the military or direct participation in hostilities.
“These attacks send a cruel message: Yemeni civilians, aid workers, and civil society can be treated as collateral damage in a broader regional confrontation. But it is precisely these communities that hold the key to justice and peace and even survival; their rights and safety must not be sacrificed”, said Amna Guellali, CIHRS Research Director.
According to information available to CIHRS, on 31 August 2025 at around 8 a.m, masked militants besieged the UN buildings housing UNICEF and WFP. The siege lasted for several hours until additional Houthi forces arrived, stormed the offices, and demanded a list of specific names of staff members. They then confiscated laptops and servers, and searched the personal mobile phones of those present. CIHRS further learnt from sources that WFP staff were rounded up and filmed as Houthi forces compelled them to sign a document pledging neither to engage in any activities against the country nor travel without prior permission, and to comply with summons when called.
The UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, condemned the arbitrary arrests of UN personnel, which “violate the fundamental obligation to respect and protect their safety, dignity, and ability to carry out their essential work in Yemen”. At least eleven UN staff members were detained in this most recent wave of arrests, adding to the twenty-three staff already held, including some detained since 2021 or 2023, and one staffer who tragically died in custody earlier this year.
This pattern of repression-encompassing arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture, death in detention, and silencing of independent voices – has been ongoing for years now. Many of those illegally held by the Houthis are denied access to legal counsel or contact with family. These violations strike at the heart of humanitarian operations, obstructing the delivery of life-saving aid to millions and deepening an already catastrophic crisis with “nearly half the population facing acute malnutrition”. They also foster a climate of fear that debilitates civil society and drives away skilled professionals, and the staff of local and international organizations, massively undermining future peace and rebuilding efforts.
The Houthis must immediately and unconditionally release all UN personnel detained on 31 August, along with the twenty-three other UN staff, NGO workers, civil society members, and diplomatic mission personnel currently held. Houthis must also cease all practices of arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture, and ill-treatment.
CIHRS further urges the United Nations, concerned governments, and regional mediators including Oman, to exert urgent, coordinated pressure to secure the release of detainees and ensure accountability for these egregious violations. The targeted extrajudicial execution of Yemeni political figures by the state of Israel should also be investigated as potential war crimes. Impunity for crimes committed will weaken humanitarian standards and undermine attempts to ensure a process of transitional justice in Yemen.
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