Barran Press
The internationally recognized Yemeni government has renewed its call for the United Nations to relocate its headquarters to the temporary capital of Aden, following the Houthi militia's takeover of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights office in Sana'a and the arrest of dozens of international organization employees.
Yemeni Information Minister Muammar Al-Eryani, in a statement published by the official Yemeni news agency Saba late Tuesday, August 13th, 2024, stated, "We reiterate our call to the UN mission, all UN agencies, and international organizations operating in Yemen... to immediately relocate their main headquarters to the temporary capital of Aden and liberated areas, to ensure a conducive environment for them to carry out their humanitarian tasks safely and more effectively to serve those in need, and to protect the lives of their employees."
Al-Eryani added that this "serious development comes after nearly two months of a wave of kidnappings carried out by the Houthi militia."
He accused the international community of adopting a "lax stance in dealing with the Houthi militia over the past years," calling for "strong and deterrent measures" and "immediate steps to designate them as a global terrorist organization."
On Tuesday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk confirmed that the Houthis had stormed the UN office in Sana'a on August 3rd, forcibly seizing documents and property, and confiscating the office keys.
In June, the Houthis kidnapped 13 UN employees, including six working for the High Commissioner's office, along with over 50 non-governmental organization employees and one embassy staff member, according to the UN.
The Houthis claimed they had arrested members of an "American-Israeli spy network" operating under the guise of humanitarian organizations, accusations the UN has categorically denied.
The High Commissioner's office had informed the Houthis on July 30th of its "suspension of operations" in Sana'a for security reasons.
Since June 7th, the Houthi militia, internationally designated as a terrorist group, has launched a widespread campaign of arrests against international and UN employees working in Sana'a and areas under their control.
On June 24th, 2024, Ahmed Erman, Minister of Human Rights and Legal Affairs in the internationally recognized Yemeni government, stated that the number of people kidnapped by the Houthis had exceeded 70, confirming that they included employees of UN agencies, international and local organizations, including five women.
The internationally recognized Yemeni government has repeatedly raised its call for UN agencies and international organizations to relocate their main headquarters to Aden, particularly amidst the increasing arrests of aid and humanitarian workers in Sana'a and Houthi-controlled areas.
On August 5th, 2024, informed sources reported that the Houthi militia, internationally designated as a terrorist group and backed by Iran, had issued a decision banning all international foreign employees working for UN and international organizations based in Sana'a from traveling.