Houthis Arrest at Least 15 Yemeni Citizens Working for International Organizations

Reuters reported on Friday, citing three officials from the legitimate Yemeni government, that the Houthis have arrested at least 15 Yemeni employees working for international organizations, including the United Nations. According to these officials, Houthi intelligence agents arrested nine UN employees, three employees from the American organization 'National Democratic Institute', and three employees from a local human rights organization on Thursday. The officials added that Houthi intelligence agents raided the homes and workplaces of these individuals, confiscating their phones and computers. The arrested UN employees work for the Office of Human Rights and the Office of Humanitarian Affairs. The United Nations, the National Democratic Institute, and the Houthis have not yet responded to this news. Sana'a, the capital of Yemen, and most northern regions of the country have been under the control of the Iran-backed Houthis since the onset of the civil war in September 2014. In contrast, the legitimate Yemeni government, supported by Saudi Arabia, controls the southern regions of the country. The bloody war between the Houthis and the legitimate government of Yemen has created one of the world's largest humanitarian crises. Following the terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, the Houthis, as one of the main proxy groups of the Islamic Republic in the region, have disrupted global shipping by attacking commercial vessels passing through the Red Sea and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. These attacks have faced reactions from the United States and Britain, who have targeted Houthi military positions in Yemen. Israel denied the Houthis' claims regarding attacks on ships in Haifa port. The Houthis unveiled a missile similar to the Iranian 'hypersonic missile' and claimed to have conducted six operations in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. Tensions with the Houthis have escalated, leading the U.S. to extend the mission of its aircraft carrier strike group.