UN Envoy Condemns Houthi Arrests of Staff After Israeli Strike Kills Rebel Prime Minister
UN envoy condemns Houthi arrests of 11 staff members in Yemen, calling it a "serious violation." The detentions follow an Israeli airstrike that killed the Houthi prime minister. The UN demands immediate release of all personnel.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The United Nations has condemned a wave of arbitrary arrests by Yemen’s Houthi movement (Ansar Allah), after the group detained at least 11 UN staff members in Sanaa and Hudaydah in the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike that killed the rebels’ prime minister and several ministers last week.
The announcement came in a statement on Sunday from Hans Grundberg, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, who described the detentions as a “serious violation” of international obligations and warned that they undermine efforts to deliver humanitarian aid and advance peace.
“I strongly condemn the new wave of arbitrary detentions of UN personnel today in Sana’a and Hudaydah by Ansar Allah, as well as the forced entry into UN premises and seizure of UN property,” Grundberg said in a statement published on the official X account of his office (OSESGY).
Statement by the UN Special Envoy for #Yemen, Hans Grundberg, on arbitrary detentions of UN personnel by Ansar Allah
— @OSE_Yemen (@OSE_Yemen) August 31, 2025
Amman, 31 August 2025 - I strongly condemn the new wave of arbitrary detentions of UN personnel today in Sana’a and Hudaydah by Ansar Allah, as well as the forced…
He confirmed that at least 11 employees were newly detained, in addition to 23 UN staff already held since 2021 and 2023, one of whom died in custody earlier this year.
“These arrests violate the fundamental obligation to respect and protect the safety, dignity, and ability of UN personnel to carry out their essential work in Yemen,” Grundberg stressed. He demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all UN staff, as well as employees of NGOs, civil society organizations, and diplomatic missions held by the Houthis.
The crackdown followed an Israeli airstrike in the Yemeni capital on Thursday, which the Houthis said killed Prime Minister Ahmad Ghaleb al-Rahawi and several ministers during a government workshop. The Houthi presidency described the attack as a “treacherous act of aggression,” vowing to continue its support for the Palestinian cause and to strengthen military operations against Israel.
In a statement, the rebels hailed al-Rahawi and his colleagues as “martyrs of the nation,” declaring that “their blood will fuel the struggle against the Israeli enemy.” Shortly afterward, they announced the appointment of Mohammed Muftah as interim prime minister.
Israeli officials, meanwhile, told media outlets that they assessed the entire Houthi cabinet may have been eliminated, including 12 ministers, in what could be the most significant strike on the group’s leadership since the Gaza war began in October 2023.
The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, control most of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, and have been engaged in a decade-long war against the Saudi-led coalition and the internationally recognized Yemeni government.
Since the Israel-Hamas war erupted, they have launched dozens of missile and drone attacks on Israeli-linked shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, portraying their campaign as part of a regional resistance axis that includes Hezbollah and Hamas.
Israel has intensified retaliatory strikes on Houthi positions in recent months, targeting missile launch sites, command centers, and now senior political leaders. Analysts warn that the killing of al-Rahawi could mark a dangerous widening of the conflict, as the Houthis pledge further escalation while simultaneously tightening their grip on domestic dissent through mass detentions.
