A coalition of human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, issued a joint demand today for the immediate and unconditional release of dozens of United Nations and civil society staff detained by de facto Huthi authorities in Yemen. As of February 2026, 73 UN personnel and scores of additional humanitarian workers remain in custody, a situation that international observers warn is severely impeding the delivery of lifesaving aid in a country already facing critical food insecurity.
### The Scope of Detentions and Humanitarian Impact
The current wave of arrests began on May 31, 2024, when Huthi forces launched a series of raids across territories under their control. While the authorities initially seized 13 UN staff and at least 50 employees from various Yemeni and international non-governmental organizations, the total number of individuals held has fluctuated as the authorities have continued to carry out new arrests while releasing only seven detainees.
The impact on aid delivery is significant. The World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have identified four districts under Huthi control that are projected to face “Catastrophe” levels of food insecurity between November 2025 and May 2026. According to Human Rights Watch, the detention of these workers has directly disrupted the capacity of humanitarian organizations to reach populations in critical need.
### Conditions in Detention and Legal Status
The safety of those remaining in custody has become a primary concern following the death of a World Food Programme aid worker in Huthi detention on February 11, 2025. The circumstances of his death have heightened alarm among international groups that have long documented the use of torture and ill-treatment by Huthi authorities to extract information or forced “confessions.”
Many of the detainees were apprehended without warrants and held incommunicado for months. Despite some detainees suffering from serious medical conditions, access to consistent medical care remains inconsistent. Furthermore, there is no evidence that any of the detainees have been granted access to legal counsel. Although the cases of three UN employees were transferred to the Specialized Criminal Court in December 2025, families of detainees report that their loved ones have been denied lawyers and coerced into filming video confessions, a tactic the Huthi authorities previously utilized in 2024 to support public allegations of espionage.
### Precedent for Targeting Humanitarian Staff
The targeting of aid workers is not a new development under the Huthi administration. Previous cases include four Yemeni staff members from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and UNESCO, who were arrested in 2021 and 2023 and remain incommunicado. Additionally, a safety and security director for Save the Children, arrested in September 2023, died while in Huthi custody on October 25 of that year.
Huthi authorities have justified these actions through a sustained media campaign, accusing civil society organizations of conspiring against national interests. Amnesty International notes that this rhetoric mirrors long-standing practices where Huthi officials use charges of espionage to silence journalists, human rights defenders, and political dissenters.
### International Response and Diplomatic Pressure
The persistent crackdown on civic space in northern Yemen has prompted calls for a more robust intervention from the international community. Rights groups are urging governments with influence over the Huthi authorities, alongside UN leadership, to prioritize the release of the detainees. Amna Guellali, research director at the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, stated that the international community must move beyond formal expressions of concern to secure the unconditional release of the staff and guarantee unhindered humanitarian access.
As of late February 2026, the Huthi authorities have maintained their position regarding the detainees, and no formal breakthrough in negotiations for their release has been announced by the United Nations or involved diplomatic missions.
