CAIRO, Egypt (AP) — The United Nations says it has suspended its humanitarian operations in the stronghold of Yemen’s Houthi rebels after they detained eight more UN staffers, affecting the global response to one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.
In a statement, the UN says the “extraordinary” decision to pause all operations and programs in northern Saada province was due to the lack of necessary security conditions and guarantees.
A spokesman for the Houthis does not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.
The rebels in recent months have detained dozens of UN staffers, as well as people associated with aid groups, civil society, and the once-open US embassy in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital. None of the UN staffers has been released.
Last month, the Houthis unilaterally freed 153 war detainees as one of several overtures to ease tensions, after the ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Such prisoner releases have been viewed as a means to jump-start talks over permanently ending Yemen’s war.
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From the Liveblog of
Monday, February 10, 2025
