A collective of over 120 civil society organizations in Yemen has vehemently condemned the recent wave of arrests targeting international staff working in areas controlled by the Houthi group, which is designated as a terrorist organization by several countries.

In a joint statement issued on Saturday, June 8th, 2024, and published by the official Yemeni news agency Saba, 116 local organizations denounced the Houthi's "armed campaign" on Thursday and Friday, June 6th and 7th, 2024. The campaign saw simultaneous raids in Houthi-controlled areas including Sana'a, Hodeidah, Sa'ada, and Amran, targeting Yemeni nationals employed by the United Nations and other international organizations.

The statement revealed that 50 individuals, including staff from the UN, its agencies, and civil society organizations, have been abducted. The Houthis, the statement claimed, stormed the homes of these individuals, interrogated them, confiscated their devices, and transported them in military vehicles to undisclosed locations. This, the organizations asserted, is a blatant violation of international law and humanitarian principles.

The organizations characterized the arrests as a "serious violation of human rights and public freedoms," highlighting that the detainees include prominent figures with a history of activism and advocacy within the framework of national and international law. They emphasized that these individuals have been working in Sana'a, contributing to the city's social and legal landscape.

The statement further condemned the Houthis' continued "crimes," which they view as a blatant disregard for national and international laws and a blatant disregard for international and regional initiatives aimed at establishing peace in the country. They characterized these actions as "crimes" that violate human rights and international conventions, charters, and national laws.

The civil society organizations called for the immediate release of all detainees and demanded an end to the Houthi's arrest campaign. They urged national and international organizations to stand in solidarity with the detainees and to advocate for their release.

The United Nations confirmed on Friday, June 7th, that 11 of its staff members were detained by the Houthis, stating that they are doing everything in their power to secure their unconditional release.

Earlier on Friday, the Yemeni government and local sources reported that the Houthis had conducted widespread arrests targeting approximately 20 employees of international and UN agencies in the capital, Sana'a.

The detained individuals work for organizations including UNICEF, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Development Programme, the World Food Programme, the Office of the UN Envoy, Response for Relief and Development (RRD), the Social Development Fund, the National Democratic Institute (NDI), and the Office of the Special UN Envoy.

For the past three years, the Houthis have held approximately 20 Yemeni employees of the US embassy in Sana'a, which ceased operations in 2014. They have also previously detained four other UN employees, two in 2021 and two in 2023, who remain in custody, according to the Associated Press.