Yemen's Houthi militia kidnaps UN and aid workers, report finds 163 cases

A human‑rights report issued by the Yemeni Women’s Empowerment Foundation documents 163 cases of kidnapping, arbitrary detention and forced disappearance carried out by Houthi militia fighters since 2014. The victims were staff of United Nations agencies, international and local NGOs, foreign embassies and diplomatic missions, as well as journalists – people not involved in the conflict but performing humanitarian and diplomatic duties.

The report says the abductions are part of a “systematic policy” intended to intimidate the international community, extort aid organisations and silence anyone operating outside Houthi control. It notes that these actions have severely damaged humanitarian programmes and reduced the presence of international organisations at a time when millions of Yemenis depend on life‑saving assistance. The foundation calls on the UN, member states, the Human Rights Council and related mechanisms to secure the immediate release of all arbitrarily detained staff, uncover the fate of those hidden, and hold perpetrators accountable. Earlier UN officials had already urged the Houthi‑controlled areas to free 73 UN employees unconditionally.