Houthis Seize UN Food Programme Warehouses in Yemen's Saada Amid Reports of Staff Abductions

The Iran-backed Houthis have forcibly taken control of United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warehouses in Yemen's Saada province’s Khat Al-Talh district, amid reports of multiple staff abductions. Local sources told Khabar Agency.

The targeted warehouses lie adjacent to a construction site struck by a U.S. airstrike the previous day. The Houthis reportedly justified the raid on "security grounds," while simultaneously abducting several WFP employees on accusations of "espionage and collusion with foreign entities." Such claims echo baseless charges repeatedly leveled by the Houthis against UN personnel and international aid workers in the past. The sources said.

This escalation underscores a broader pattern of Houthi aggression toward humanitarian operations. Over recent months, the group has detained dozens of UN agency staff and workers from global NGOs, often citing unsubstantiated espionage allegations.

The militia’s history of arbitrary detentions has drawn global condemnation. Previous incidents include prolonged imprisonment of UN-affiliated personnel without trial, violating international humanitarian law and exacerbating risks for aid workers in Yemen’s conflict zones.

The World Food Programme has yet to issue an official statement.