Houthi rebels free 153 prisoners in Yemen according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). On Thursday, a UN chief denounced the arrest of seven UN employees in the country.
Yemeni Houthi rebels free 153 prisonerslinked to the conflict” underway for a decade in the country, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced on Saturday.
The liberation took place in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital, which the Houthis – backed by Iran – seized in 2014, plunging the country into civil war.
The release comes the day after the UN announced the arrest of seven of its employees by Houthi rebels in Yemen. They are already detaining dozens of employees of the United Nations and several humanitarian organizations.
“Yesterday, the de facto authorities in Sanaa detained other UN personnel working in areas under their control”indicates a UN press release,“To ensure the safety and security of all its personnel, the UN has suspended all official movements in areas controlled by de facto authorities.”
Before Friday, 16 Yemeni UN staff were detained by the Houthis.
They discovered that seven others had been kidnapped and halted their work of providing food, medicine and other aid to the impoverished country.
In June, the United Nations acknowledged that 11 Yemeni employees had been detained by the Houthis in unclear circumstances, as the rebels intensified repression in areas they control.
Several dozen other employees of humanitarian agencies and other organizations are also detained.
The UN added that it “actively engaged with senior representatives” Houthis, who have held Yemen’s capital since 2014.
The Iran-backed rebels are at war with a Saudi-led coalition that has been fighting on behalf of the country’s government-in-exile since 2015.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said:their continued arbitrary detention is unacceptable.”
“The continued targeting of UN staff and partners is negatively impacting our ability to help millions of people in need in Yemen,” he warned in a press release.
The Houthis did not take note of the UN decision, which comes as they are also trying to defuse their attacks on shipping and Israel after the establishment of a ceasefire in Gaza.
US President Donald Trump has decided to reinstate the group’s terrorist designation that he made at the end of his first term and which was revoked by President Joe Biden, which could open the way to new tensions with the rebels.
Earlier this week, the Houthis said they would limit their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea corridor and released the 25 crew members of the Galaxy Leader, a ship they seized in November 2023 .
ADVERTISEMENTHowever, the Houthis have been waging a campaign targeting people with ties to the West for some time.
The group has repeatedly broadcast programs on television channels it controls, featuring people it describes as working with Western intelligence agencies or with the Israelis.
The war in Yemen has left more than 150,000 combatants and civilians dead and caused one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters, killing tens of thousands more.
Houthi attacks on shipping during Israel’s war with Hamas have helped distract attention from the problems they face at home.
ADVERTISEMENTBut for months, they have suffered losses and damage from US-led airstrikes against the group.
