Yemen’s Houthis seized UN rights office in Sana’a, UN official says

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have stormed the headquarters of the United Nations’ Human Rights Office in the capital, Sana’a, seizing documents, furniture and vehicles, a senior UN official says.

The seizure is the latest move in a crackdown by the Houthis on people working with the UN, aid agencies and foreign embassies. The crackdown comes as the Iranian-backed rebels have been targeting shipping throughout the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

The rebels took over the UN Human Rights Office’s premises in Sanaa on August 3, after forcing UN Yemeni workers to hand over belongings, including documents, furniture and vehicles, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk says in a statement.

“Ansar Allah forces must leave the premises and return all assets and belongings immediately,” Türk says, using the official name of the Houthis.

A spokesman for the Houthis doesn’t return phone calls and messages requesting comment.

The UN’s Human Rights Office says it suspended the office’s operations in Sana’a and other Yemeni areas controlled by the Houthis following the June crackdown campaign. But it still operates in the parts of Yemen controlled by the internationally recognized government.