Iran-backed Houthi forces stormed several United Nations offices in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, on Sunday, detaining at least 11 UN personnel in a raid that has drawn sharp condemnation from the international community.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres confirmed that Houthi militants forcibly entered the premises of the World Food Programme (WFP), seized UN assets, and attempted to breach the offices of other UN agencies. The raid follows a week of heightened tensions after an Israeli airstrike in Sanaa killed the Houthi-run government’s prime minister and several senior ministers.

In a separate statement, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said the detained staff were stationed in both Sanaa and the strategic port city of Hodeidah. The affected agencies include UNICEF, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Grundberg warned that this latest incident is part of a disturbing trend. In addition to Sunday’s detentions, 23 other UN employees remain in Houthi custody—some held since as far back as 2021. One of those detainees reportedly died in captivity earlier this year.

The escalating crackdown has raised serious alarm about the safety of humanitarian workers in Yemen, a country already gripped by one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises after nearly a decade of war. Aid groups are now facing increasing operational risks, even as millions of Yemenis remain in dire need of food, shelter, and medical assistance.

UN officials are calling for the immediate release of all detained staff and renewed respect for international humanitarian norms.