Houthi militants in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, have released most of the foreign United Nations staff who had been held for several days after storming a UN compound. This was reported by Bloomberg, writes UNN.
Details
According to the organization, out of 15 international staff detained last weekend, 12 have already flown out of the country on a UN flight. Three more have been granted permission to move freely and can leave Yemen. The Houthi attack on the UN office took place on Saturday – they then detained a total of 20 people, including five local employees who were released earlier.
Despite the release of some personnel, more than 50 UN employees remain illegally detained by the Houthis in various parts of Yemen – some of them have been held captive by the militants for years. The organization avoids disclosing details for security reasons, but the Office of Secretary-General António Guterres has again called for their immediate release.
The UN has a significant presence in Yemen, where a civil war has been ongoing since 2014. The Houthis have repeatedly attacked humanitarian workers, and the recent escalation of the situation in the region – against the backdrop of the conflict in Gaza – has led to increased tensions and US and Israeli strikes on territories controlled by the group.