Houthis Abduct UN Employees in Yemen, WJWC Warns of Escalating Violations

The Houthi militia has abducted at least 20 current and former United Nations employees in Yemen in a new campaign of kidnappings and raids, according to Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC).

In a statement, the organization said the abductions began on August 31, 2025, when armed fighters stormed UN offices in Sana’a and Hodeidah. The victims included 15 staff members of the World Food Program (WFP) and UNICEF, along with five former WFP employees. The militia also besieged the agencies’ headquarters, looted property, and raided the homes of former staff before taking them to undisclosed locations.

Among those targeted is UNICEF’s Deputy Representative in Yemen, Luna Shukri, who has reportedly been interrogated several times since the raid. WJWC said such treatment constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, which guarantees the protection of humanitarian workers.

The organization listed the names of some abducted WFP employees from Sana’a and Hodeidah, including Ammar Nasser, Ghanem Ahmed Ghanem, Akram Al-Maghribi, and Abdullah Al-Qadi.

WJWC stressed that these actions form part of a wider policy of repression and amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity under international law. It cited previous incidents, noting that 23 UN employees remain detained by the Houthis from earlier crackdowns in 2021, 2023, and 2024.

Reports of torture and mistreatment continue to emerge. The group pointed to cases of detainees suffering blindness, nerve injuries, and, in February, the death of WFP worker Ahmed Ba’alawi in Sa’ada after what it described as severe torture.

According to WJWC, the latest abductions coincide with a broader escalation in Houthi-controlled areas. The organization documented 312 violations in July and August alone, including mass kidnappings, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, looting, destruction of homes and farms, forced displacement, and the deliberate starvation of civilians through sieges.

“The kidnapping of humanitarian workers is a grave breach of the Geneva Conventions and international human rights standards,” the organization said. “It directly threatens the safety of civilians and undermines the continuation of humanitarian operations.”

WJWC condemned the abductions and called for the immediate release of all detainees. It urged the United Nations and the international community to launch independent investigations, impose accountability measures, and adopt stronger protections for humanitarian staff.

The organization warned that continued impunity would encourage further violations and deepen Yemen’s already severe humanitarian crisis.