Aden (Yemen), Aug 13 (IANS): The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) office in Yemen's Sanaa has been shut down by Houthi forces, UN and government officials said on Tuesday.
In an escalation of tensions between the Houthi group and international organizations operating in Yemen, UN and local government officials confirmed to Xinhua news agency that armed Houthi personnel conducted a raid operation of the OHCHR premises, situated in Sanaa's Hadda district, last Thursday and Friday.
During the operation, the militant group confiscated various properties, vehicles, assets, and documents belonging to the office, including the main hard disk containing crucial electronic information.
A source within the UN commission, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the incident, saying that "gunmen from the Houthi group entered our headquarters, conducted a comprehensive search, and seized our properties."
Following the raid, the Houthi gunmen expelled the employees and completely shut down the OHCHR office.
The Yemeni government, through a senior official in the Ministry of Legal Affairs and Human Rights, confirmed the incident, saying that "the raid against the UN office is part of a broader pattern of Houthi hostility towards international entities operating in the country's northern regions."
He said that the latest development follows a series of arrests targeting employees of UN and international organizations in Sanaa. In June, six OHCHR staff members were detained and still remain in custody.
Yemen's government had previously reported that the number of detained aid workers exceeded 50, prompting calls for international organizations to evacuate Sanaa due to security concerns.
Last month, UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, issued an appeal for the immediate and unconditional release of UN staff, aid workers, and civil society members detained by the Houthi group in Sanaa.
The Houthi group has controlled Sanaa and most of the northern Yemeni provinces since late 2014 and has since been engaged in a years-long military conflict with the Yemeni government forces. The conflict has resulted in one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, according to the UN.