The Ansar Allah (Houthi) Group must Immediately and Unconditionally Release Humanitarian Workers Employed by Humanitarian Organizations.
In a statement issued today, Mwatana for Human Rights reported that instead of releasing humanitarian workers arbitrarily detained since May 2024, the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group continues to detain employees of humanitarian organizations, particularly those affiliated with United Nations agencies. This conduct flagrantly violates national and international laws that prohibit the targeting of civilians and afford special protections to humanitarian workers.
Mwatana further highlighted that on Thursday, January 23, 2025, the Ansar Allah(Houthi) group launched a new wave of arbitrary detentions targeting United Nations personnel working with the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF. This is part of a systematic and ongoing campaign against humanitarian workers over the past several months. Such actions constitute a grave escalation, a blatant breach of national and international laws, and an intensification of the suffering endured by the victims and their families.
Mwatana emphasized that the repeated targeting of humanitarian workers hampers humanitarian operations, intensifies the suffering of civilians, and creates significant challenges for the necessary humanitarian interventions to aid the population, potentially leading to catastrophic humanitarian, economic, and social consequences.
Radhya Al-Mutawakel, Chairperson of Mwatana for Human Rights, stated: “The detention of UN personnel is not only a violation of all international and national laws but also a serious and ongoing attack on humanitarian work in Yemen.” She added, “Detaining humanitarian workers is a direct assault on the only hope millions of Yemenis rely on in these harsh conditions. These employees are notparties to the conflict; they are individuals who have dedicated their lives toassisting affected civilians.”
Al-Mutawakel continued, “At a time when we hoped the group would release those it has detained and forcibly disappeared for months, it has instead launched a new wave of arbitrary detentions, ignoring all ongoing calls for their release and showing no regard for the severe suffering of the victims and their families.”
The United Nations previously confirmed in a statement that the Ansar Allah(Houthi) group had launched a new campaign of detentions targeting additional UN staff members. As a result, the UN announced the suspension of all official movements to areas under the control of the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group.
Mwatana noted that this campaign is part of a broader effort against humanitarian work initiated by the group in late May 2024. During this campaign, the group conducted arbitrary detentions targeting dozens of Yemeni employees working for international and local NGOs and commercial companies. Those affected included staff from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Special Envoy's Office to Yemen, the National Democratic Institute, the Social Fund for Development, Partners Yemen, the Civil Alliance for Peace, Deep Root Foundation, Resonate Yemen Foundation, Present Foundation, and other international and local NGOs, as well as commercial companies. Several of these individuals remain forcibly disappeared to date.
Mwatana for Human Rights called on the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group to immediately and unconditionally release all previously detained individuals and those recently detained, including employees of international and local NGOs and humanitarian workers in Yemen. It also urged the group to cease these violations and practices, which undermine the rule of law, the independence of civil and humanitarian work in Yemen, and exacerbate the suffering of civilians.
