The UN on Sunday said Yemen's Houthis have detained at least 11 of its personnel in a move that will hinder aid delivery and peace efforts in the country.
The latest arrests add to the 23 UN personnel being held in detention by the Iran-backed Houthis.
“I strongly condemn the new wave of arbitrary detentions of UN personnel today in Sanaa and Hodeidah by Ansar Allah, as well as the forced entry into UN premises and seizure of UN property,” UN special envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said in a statement, using the Houthis' formal name.
“These actions severely hinder broader efforts to deliver assistance and advance peace in Yemen.”
The detentions came after the Houthis on Sunday vowed to intensify attacks on Israel after it killed the Houthi prime minister, Ahmed Ghaleb Al Rahwi, and other senior officials in a massive strike.
The UN's World Food Programme said in a statement to AFP that its “offices in Sanaa were entered by local security forces who have detained a staff member, with reports of other detentions in other areas”.
It said it was “urgently seeking additional information” from the Houthi authorities, who seized the capital Sanaa in 2014 and now control large parts of Yemen.
In January, the Houthi rebels detained eight UN workers, adding to those held since June 2024.
The Houthis have previously claimed that some of the earlier arrests included “an American-Israeli spy network” operating under the cover of humanitarian organisations. The UN has emphatically rejected the claims.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
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EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
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The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm
Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm
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Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
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