Yemen Houthis Detain 10 UN Staff in Spying Crackdown

Yemen's Houthi rebels have arrested multiple local United Nations staff members, accusing them of spying for Israel amid the ongoing Gaza war. These arrests include three UN staff from the World Food Programme and seven additional aid workers recently detained in the capital, Sanaa, as part of a broader crackdown on UN and NGO personnel accused of collaborating with Israel and the U.S. Since 2021, the Houthis have detained 55 UN personnel, with accusations that UN agencies like WFP and UNICEF engaged in espionage and aided Israeli strikes, including a cabinet meeting attack that killed rebel leaders. The rebels have also targeted Israel and Red Sea shipping lanes, asserting solidarity with Palestinians. Mediation efforts by Iran and Oman have led to the release and evacuation of some foreign UN staff, but many local workers remain detained. The ongoing conflict and these detentions highlight the severe humanitarian and political challenges faced in Yemen's rebel-controlled areas.