Houthi rebels detain 2 more UN workers, including a woman in critical condition

CAIRO (AP) — Iranian-backed Houthi rebels intensified their crackdown against the United Nations in Yemen on Saturday, detaining two additional workers, U.N. officials said.

Houthi security forces detained the two female workers of the World Food Program from their homes in the capital, Sanaa, the officials said. Their whereabouts remained unknown, they said.

One of the two women was in critical condition after she gave premature birth and her baby died earlier this month, one of the officials said. The woman is a sister of another worker with the U.N. food agency who was briefly detained earlier this month, the official said. The woman’s brother, who suffers from kidney failure, was released by the rebels due to his deteriorating health condition, the officials said.

Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to media.

Saturday’s detentions were the latest in a series of events now forcing the world body to reassess how it operates in the war-torn country. The Houthis detained two others and raided the homes of several U.N. staffers on Thursday and Friday.

The Houthis have repeatedly raided U.N. offices and earlier this month they seized assets, including communications equipment. They detained over two dozen U.N. workers before allowing 12 international workers to leave Yemen on Wednesday, according to the U.N.

At least 55 U.N. staff members are currently detained by the Houthis, as well as many workers with other non-government and civil society personnel from various diplomatic missions.

The crackdown has forced the U.N. to suspend its operations in Saada province in northern Yemen following the detention of eight staffers in January. The U.N. 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.

The rebels have repeatedly alleged without providing evidence that the detained U.N. staffers and those working with other international groups and foreign embassies were spies. The U.N. fiercely denied the accusations.