Houthis and Humanitarian Organization Employees: Information in Exchange for Freedom

---

Military and security sources in Sana’a have reported that Houthi militias have sought to barter the freedom of local humanitarian organization employees in exchange for information on liberated areas.

• Suspicious Houthi and Muslim Brotherhood Movements in Yemen’s Shabwah… Details

• Splits Rock the Houthi Militias… Details

The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that the Houthi intelligence and security apparatus has recruited several employees of local organizations working on projects in government-controlled areas, particularly those residing in Sana’a, with most recruits agreeing to cooperate under threat.

In addition to intimidating local employees of humanitarian and human rights organizations, Houthi militias have also inserted their agents into these organizations after training them in information gathering.

• U.S. Strikes on Houthi Weapon Depots in Yemen

• Following in Daesh’s Footsteps… The Houthis Spoil Yemeni Celebrations

The sources confirmed that the Houthi security and intelligence apparatus managed to impose its agents through the so-called “Supreme Council for the Management and Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and International Cooperation,” known as “SCMCHA.”

Many humanitarian organizations’ headquarters are based in Sana’a, making them a target for the militias, who have sought to turn their employees into intelligence assets.

• Hezbollah and Revolutionary Guard Experts under Houthi Suspicion: New Arrangements in Yemen

• Growing concerns about the Houthis turning Yemen into a battleground for Iran’s wars… Details

The sources reported that employees who failed to provide the requested information were at risk of detention.

They added that recently, Houthi security forces detained 21 employees who did not provide the required information, accusing them of espionage for the legitimate authorities.

In addition to detaining local organization employees, Houthi militias continue to hold a large number of staff from UN agencies, their branches, as well as other international organizations, refusing to release them, which has led some of these organizations to suspend their projects in Houthi-controlled areas.

• The Houthis’ Catastrophe Enters Its Second Decade: A Fireball Burning Yemen

• Terrorism: A Product of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Houthis… Yemenis React to Major Massacres in the South

In early June, the Houthi militias carried out mass abductions in their areas of control, targeting 50 employees from UN, international, and local organizations, including four women, according to a statement from the Ministry of Human Rights in Aden.

The militias published forced confessions from UN employees and diplomats, accusing them of espionage, in an attempt to justify their detention and counter UN efforts in regional countries for their release.

• Terrorism: A Product of the Muslim Brotherhood and Houthis… Yemenis React to Large-Scale Massacres in the South

• Aden Silences Houthi and Muslim Brotherhood Propaganda… A Peace Driver Despite Challenges

They also closed the office of a German organization and stormed the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sana’a, looting its contents, only to return the building later as part of ongoing extortion tactics with the agency due to its work in documenting violations.

In October, UN and international organization program directors condemned the referral of a number of abducted UN and international organization employees to the Houthis‘ state security court, including two from UNESCO and one from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, who were detained between 2021 and 2023.

• Houthi Leaders Trade in Counterfeit Currency

• The Houthis have established over 400 prisons since their invasion of Sanaa

Heads of affected UN entities and international NGOs stated that this action came at a time when they were hoping for their release, asserting that potential charges against the detainees are unacceptable.

They expressed in a statement “serious concerns for the safety and well-being of the employees and their families following the Houthi actions, which will further hinder the ability of UN and international organizations to reach millions of people in Yemen in need of humanitarian assistance and protection services, negatively impacting their safety and situation.”

• They Were in the Brotherhood’s Stronghold: Arrest of a Houthi Cell on Its Way to Sanaa

• The Houthi Militias Form a New Government… Will the Muslim Brotherhood Be Included?

They renewed their call for the immediate and unconditional release of all staff from UN agencies, international and national NGOs, civil society organizations, and diplomatic missions arbitrarily detained in Yemen by the de facto authorities (Houthi militias).

They also demanded an end to the targeting of humanitarian workers in Yemen, including arbitrary detention, intimidation, mistreatment, false accusations, and the immediate release of all detainees.