Skip to main content

Yemen's Houthi-run Foreign Ministry says UN should not shield espionage activities

1 min Mena Today

Yemen's Houthi-run Foreign Ministry said United Nations officials' legal immunities should not shield espionage activities, days after at least 18 U.N. personnel were detained in the capital Sanaa.

The U.N. said on Sunday that Houthi rebels raided its premises in Sanaa and detained U.N. staff © Mena Today 

The U.N. said on Sunday that Houthi rebels raided its premises in Sanaa and detained U.N. staff © Mena Today 

Yemen's Houthi-run Foreign Ministry said United Nations officials' legal immunities should not shield espionage activities, days after at least 18 U.N. personnel were detained in the capital Sanaa.

The U.N. said on Sunday that Houthi rebels raided its premises in Sanaa and detained U.N. staff, following an Israeli strike that killed the prime minister of the Houthi-run government and several other ministers. 

Before the weekend raids the Houthis were already holding 23 U.N. personnel, some since 2021. Another U.N. staff member died while in Houthi custody in February.

"So far, the UNICEF and WFP (World Food Programme) offices remain under the Houthi control," U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Wednesday, again calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained.

He said the Houthis had also broken into the U.N. Development Programme complex.

Related

Oman

Final stretch for Oman deal, Iran says, pending US action

Iran said on Sunday that a deal with Oman defining new shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz was in its final stages but reiterated that the waterway would only reopen once the United States met other conditions.

Lebanon

Senators unveil $1.2 billion Lebanon bill tied to Hezbollah disarmament

US Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and James Lankford (R-OK) introduced legislation Thursday that would authorize up to $1.2 billion in security assistance to Lebanon over five years, with part of the funding conditioned on Beirut's progress toward a state monopoly on arms and the disarmament of Hezbollah.

Yemen

Houthi assault on Marib deepens Yemen crisis

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis launched ballistic missiles and drones at displacement camps and residential neighbourhoods in the city of Marib on Friday, killing two people and wounding 14, state news agency SABA reported, citing local authorities.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Mena banner 4

To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.

  • Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.