Houthi militia forces have abducted a former employee of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) from her home in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, according to a human rights source. The source stated that elements affiliated with the security and intelligence apparatus raided the residence of Fathiya Hussein Ali Al-Haddad on Sunday morning on Ha'il Street in central Sanaa. Personal belongings were confiscated before Al-Haddad was taken to an unknown location, with no reasons provided for her detention. Al-Haddad, a mother of four, previously worked for the UNHCR in Sudan. She returned to Sanaa after her contract ended and was employed in the education sector at a kindergarten. Her abduction reportedly followed a denunciation by a colleague, though further details were not immediately available. This incident occurs amid escalating international warnings regarding the ongoing detention of humanitarian workers. In late March, UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock described the situation in Yemen as "extremely serious," noting the arbitrary detention of 73 UN staff members, some for over five years. The UN official cautioned that the continued detention of humanitarian personnel undermines relief efforts and obstructs the delivery of essential aid to millions of people in need across the country. |
