---
title: "Houthi rebels raid UN premises in Yemen, detain at least 11 people"
description: "Aug 31 (Reuters) - Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi rebels raided United Nations offices in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Sunday and detained at least 11 U.N. personnel, the body said."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-09-01-houthi-rebels-raid-un-premises-in-yemen-detain-at-least-11-people/"
published: "2025-09-01T04:45:04"
updated: "2025-09-01T04:45:05"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 150
---

# Houthi rebels raid UN premises in Yemen, detain at least 11 people

> Aug 31 (Reuters) - Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi rebels raided United Nations offices in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Sunday and detained at least 11 U.N. personnel, the body said.

By Reuters · Published 1 September 2025, 06:45 SAST · Updated 1 September 2025, 06:45 SAST

## Key points
- In a shocking twist worthy of a political thriller, the Houthis stormed U.N. premises in Yemen, seizing property and detaining staff, all while the region reels from an Israeli airstrike that took out the Houthi prime minister and other officials.
- U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reported that Houthis forcibly seized World Food Programme premises and attempted to enter other U.N. offices in Sanaa.
- The raid occurred after an Israeli strike in Sanaa killed Yemen's Houthi prime minister and several ministers.
- U.N. Special Envoy Hans Grundberg confirmed the detention of 11 U.N. staff in Sanaa and Hodeidah, adding to 23 others previously detained.
- The ongoing detentions highlight a troubling trend, with some staff held since 2021 and one reported death in custody this year.

## Content

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the Houthis forcibly entered World Food Programme premises, seized U.N. property and attempted to enter other U.N. offices in the capital.

The raid followed an Israeli [strike](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N3UM03V&linkedFromStory=true) on Sanaa on Thursday that killed the prime minister of Yemen's Houthi-run government and several other ministers.

U.N. Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said in a separate statement that the 11 staff were detained in both Sanaa and the port city of Hodeidah.

UNICEF, the U.N. Development Programme and the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees are among other U.N. agencies with offices in one or both of the two cities.

Grundberg said the detentions were in addition to 23 other U.N. staff previously detained, some since 2021, and one who died in detention this year.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols, Mohammed Ghobari, Yazhini MV and Rhea Rose Abraham; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Diane Craft)