A United Nations official has confirmed that the Houthi group is holding UNICEF’s representative in Yemen, British national Peter Hawkins, among dozens of UN employees after storming a UN compound in Sanaa on Saturday.
Hawkins, 64, is the highest-ranking UN official to be detained by the group as part of an ongoing campaign targeting UN personnel for nearly two months.
According to the UN spokesperson, 53 staff members are currently being held by the Houthis, with some having been missing for years. The group has accused UN employees of engaging in “espionage activities.”
The United Nations is working through diplomatic channels to secure their release and regain control of its facilities, as the detentions have severely disrupted vital humanitarian operations across Yemen.
