Houthis Hold UN Staff After Office Raids In Sanaa

Illustration of the United Nations. (Wikimedia Commons/Leif Jryptensen)

JAKARTA - A United Nations (UN) staff member was detained in Yemen, bringing the number of world agency staff arrested in recent days to six, a UN spokesman said on Monday.

The latest detention comes after Houthi security forces entered several United Nations offices in Sanaa, Yemen, on Sunday, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the United Nations Secretary-General.

At least 59 UN personnel were detained by the Houthis, according to Dujarric, who condemned the continued detention. Some have been detained for years, the United Nations said.

There are still hundreds of UN personnel left in several Yemeni regions controlled by the Houthis, including a small number of international staff, said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the UN Secretary-General.

"Our top priority is the safety and well-being of all UN personnel, including securing the release of colleagues who have been arbitrarily detained and our local partners who are also affected, as well as preventing further detention," Haq said.

Iran's allied Houthis have taken control of much of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, since seizing power in 2014 and early 2015.

According to the United Nations, the Houthis have taken steps that have "suggested" the agency to provide assistance to those in need in Yemen.

Last week Haj said Houthi's actions forced the UN to re-evaluate its working ways in the group-controlled areas.