UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for the immediate release of 11 UN staff arrested by Houthi authorities in Yemen. The detentions occurred during raids on offices of the World Food Programme, UNICEF, and WHO in Sanaa and Hudaydah, UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg said.

Guterres condemned the arbitrary arrests, forced entry into UN premises, and property seizures. The Houthis have held 23 other UN personnel since 2021, with one detainee dying earlier this year. Grundberg said such actions impede aid delivery and peace efforts, BBC reported.

The arrests follow heightened tensions after an Israeli strike killed the Houthi prime minister. Yemen’s conflict has killed over 150,000 people, displaced 4.8m, and left nearly half the population in need of aid.