Yemen’s Houthi rebels have raided a UN facility in the capital Sanaa but all staff are safe, a UN official says

They later released the deputy director of the UNICEF office in the country but still hold more than 50 people, including many associated with aid groups, civil society and the now-closed US Embassy in Sanaa.

“The United Nations is taking all necessary measures and is in contact with the relevant authorities and counterparts to ensure the safety and security of all personnel and property,” Alam said.

Another UN official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the raid, said the building is operated by the UN.

The employees belong to multiple UN agencies including the World Food Program, UNICEF and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said the official. Saturday’s raid was the latest in a long-running Houthi crackdown against the UN and other international organizations working in rebel-held areas in Yemen.

The crackdown forced the UN to suspend its operations in the Houthi stronghold of Saada province in northern Yemen following the detention of eight staffers in January.

The UN also relocated its top humanitarian coordinator in Yemen from Sanaa to the coastal city of Aden, which serves as seat for the internationally recognized government.

Yemen has plunged into civil war in 2014, when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, forcing the internationally recognized government into exile.

A coalition led by Saudi Arabia and including the United Arab Emirates intervened the following year in an attempt to restore the government.

The war has been stalemated in recent years, and the rebels reached a deal with Saudi Arabia that stopped their attacks on the kingdom in return for ceasing the Saudi-led strikes on their territories.