After more than a year of suspending most of its humanitarian activities in areas controlled by the Houthi movement, amid the arrest of dozens of local staff and the seizure of assets and property, the United Nations has declared that its relationship with the group has reached a dead end. The development raises serious concerns about the humanitarian consequences for millions of Yemenis who rely on food assistance.
Reflecting the depth of the crisis, the World Food Program has decided to halt its operations entirely in Houthi-held Sanaa and dismiss all its staff, after exhausting efforts to end repeated violations against humanitarian workers and to secure minimum conditions for safe operations.
Sources working with the United Nations and the aid sector told Asharq Al-Awsat that the decision to end the program’s presence in Houthi-controlled areas was driven by systematic practices aimed at undermining the independence of humanitarian work. These included direct interference in operations, tight restrictions on staff movement, the seizure of offices and warehouses, and repeated attempts to impose beneficiaries based on political and security considerations.
The program had suspended its activities in those areas several times over recent years in protest against Houthi interference in food aid distribution and attempts to divert assistance away from its humanitarian purpose.
Despite this, it maintained limited operations through local partners to deliver emergency aid to the most vulnerable, particularly during natural disasters and floods that struck several governorates over the past two years. This continued until security and administrative conditions deteriorated to unprecedented levels.
Arrests and asset seizures
Despite the flexibility shown by the United Nations in dealing with restrictions and its efforts to overcome violations of the rules governing UN missions, the Houthis responded with escalating measures.
These included raids on the offices of several UN agencies, including the World Food Program, the arrest of dozens of local employees, accusations that they were spying for the United States and Israel, and the seizure of assets and property belonging to UN agencies and other organizations.
According to the sources, the program continued for more than a year to pay salaries to its staff, including those detained or barred from work after Houthi intelligence services took control of UN premises.
It also maintained paying rent on buildings, while engaging in difficult negotiations aimed at securing the release of detained staff, ending the takeover of offices, and recovering confiscated assets.
Aid organizations later concluded that they had delayed too long in deciding to end their presence, citing what they described as deliberate stalling during negotiations.
While one wing overseeing what is referred to as the Houthi foreign ministry showed some understanding of UN demands and proposed solutions, another wing led by intelligence agencies pushed for further escalation.
Escalation without end
During negotiations led by the UN coordinator for Yemen over the past year, the Houthis proposed presenting what they claimed were “evidence” to support espionage charges against local staff. They later suggested trying the detainees and issuing a general amnesty after convictions.
The United Nations rejected claims, insisting on the unconditional release of all detained staff — around 73 people — as well as others held from international and local organizations and diplomatic missions.
The talks coincided with further Houthi escalatory steps, including raids on additional humanitarian offices, new arrests of local staff, and the referral of dozens to a specialized court for terrorism and state security cases. This deepened mistrust and closed off any prospects for compromise.
With around 12 million people living in Houthi-controlled areas, the UN has warned that these measures, most recently the raid on the offices of six UN agencies in Sanaa and the seizure of their assets, will lead to an unprecedented deterioration of the humanitarian situation, in the absence of acceptable arrangements to ensure aid reaches those in need.
The UN Security Council adopted resolutions in 2025 and this year calling on the Houthis to provide a safe working environment and to immediately and unconditionally release all detained staff from the United Nations, non-governmental organizations, and diplomatic missions.
The militants have ignored the calls and demanded a review of the UN presence agreement in Yemen, which dates back to the 1960s.
