Huthi Rebels Raid United Nations Building in Yemen

Huthi rebels in Yemen launched a raid on a United Nations (UN) compound in the capital, Sanaa, on Saturday, according to a UN official who spoke to AFP. The UN confirmed that all members of staff inside the facility were “safe and accounted for” following the unauthorised entry.

Jean Alam, spokesperson for the UN Resident Coordinator for Yemen, stated: “We can confirm that there has been an unauthorised entry by Ansar Allah security members into the UN compound in Sanaa, which currently accommodates 15 UN international staff members. According to the latest information, all staff in the compound are safe and accounted for and have contacted their families.”

He noted that the situation remained “an ongoing incident”, while assuring that the UN was taking “all necessary measures” to manage the situation.

This is not the first time Huthi forces have targeted UN facilities. On 31 August 2025, the rebels previously stormed UN offices in Sanaa and detained more than 11 employees. At the time, a senior Huthi official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, claimed that the detainees were suspected of spying for the United States and Israel.

In response to continuing detentions, the spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Stéphane Dujarric issued a statement on Saturday saying: “We will continue to call for an end to the arbitrary detention of 53 of our colleagues.”

Dujarric’s remarks followed a televised address on Thursday by rebel leader Abdelmalek al-Huthi, who alleged that his forces had dismantled “one of the most dangerous spy cells” supposedly linked to humanitarian organisations such as the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF.
He described the accusations as “dangerous and unacceptable”.

The latest raid comes amid a series of detentions of UN and NGO personnel in Huthi-controlled areas. In mid-September 2025, the UN officially relocated its humanitarian coordinator from Sanaa — held by the rebels — to Aden, the interim capital under the internationally recognised Yemeni government.

According to UN data:

Yemen remains gripped by a devastating civil war that has raged for over a decade. The conflict, primarily between the Iranian-backed Huthi rebels and the Saudi-led coalition supporting the Yemeni government, has plunged the country — already one of the poorest in the Arabian Peninsula — into what the UN describes as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

Millions continue to face severe food insecurity, collapsing healthcare systems, and widespread displacement as violence and political instability persist across the nation.