On August 3, Houthi forces raided the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, and “seiz[ed] documents and property by force,” according to High Commissioner Volker Türk. The office has remained under Houthi occupation, despite calls by OHCHR and others for the Houthis to vacate the premises and return all stolen assets.
Since May 31, the Houthis, an armed group that controls much of Yemen, have arrested staff from various UN agencies, international organizations, and local nongovernmental organizations. Because the Houthis did not divulge the location of those arbitrarily detained, Human Rights Watch found them to be enforced disappearances. A civil society worker tracking the arrests said that as of July 7, the Houthis had arrested over 72 people. Among those still detained are 13 UN staff members, including 6 OHCHR employees. Since 2021, the Houthis have also arbitrarily detained two other OHCHR staff and several former staff members of the United States embassy in Sanaa. They remain in custody.
The Houthis’ crackdown on UN agencies and civil society offices comes at a time when Yemen is in desperate need of humanitarian aid as the country faces multiple devastating crises. Over half of Yemen’s population lacks adequate access to food and water. The Houthis’ obstruction of aid has also exacerbated a cholera outbreak, which has resulted in at least 95,000 suspected cases and claimed at least 258 lives over the last few months. Additionally, recent floods in Houthi-controlled territories have killed dozens of people, injured hundreds more, damaged homes and infrastructure, and displaced thousands of people.
Türk, in his statement on August 13, described the seizure of his agency’s office as a “serious attack on the ability of the UN to perform its mandate, including with respect to the promotion and protection of human rights.”
The Houthis should immediately vacate the OHCHR premises, unconditionally release all UN and civil society staff, and return all assets and belongings. As a de facto authority in Yemen, the Houthis should fully meet their obligations under international human rights law and provide lifesaving services to the people living in areas under their control.