Yemen's Houthi government has announced plans to put dozens of United Nations staff on trial, alleging that they have ties to Israel or were involved in an Israeli air strike that killed the country's prime minister. The UN has repeatedly rejected these accusations, saying that at least 59 of its employees are being held by the group.
According to officials, a cell within the World Food Programme is alleged to have directly targeted the government, sparking outrage and concern among international organizations. Yemen's acting foreign minister, Abdulwahid Abu Ras, confirmed that security agencies are acting under full judicial supervision and will lead to trials and the issuance of judicial rulings.
The detained UN workers include Yemenis who could face the death penalty under Yemeni law. Senior Houthi official Nasruddin Amer said that the trial will determine the penalty for those accused of spying for Israel, citing existing laws in place since previous regimes.
However, the UN says the trial is not against the organization itself but rather against those who exploited humanitarian work to carry out espionage against the country and its people. The World Food Programme has refused to comment on the matter.
The Houthi government's actions have raised concerns about the safety of hundreds of UN personnel remaining in parts of Yemen, which are controlled by the group. The UN says it is operating under increasingly difficult conditions, hindering its ability to provide assistance to those in need in Yemen.
According to officials, a cell within the World Food Programme is alleged to have directly targeted the government, sparking outrage and concern among international organizations. Yemen's acting foreign minister, Abdulwahid Abu Ras, confirmed that security agencies are acting under full judicial supervision and will lead to trials and the issuance of judicial rulings.
The detained UN workers include Yemenis who could face the death penalty under Yemeni law. Senior Houthi official Nasruddin Amer said that the trial will determine the penalty for those accused of spying for Israel, citing existing laws in place since previous regimes.
However, the UN says the trial is not against the organization itself but rather against those who exploited humanitarian work to carry out espionage against the country and its people. The World Food Programme has refused to comment on the matter.
The Houthi government's actions have raised concerns about the safety of hundreds of UN personnel remaining in parts of Yemen, which are controlled by the group. The UN says it is operating under increasingly difficult conditions, hindering its ability to provide assistance to those in need in Yemen.
i mean i get it they're upset but taking it out on innocent ppl who are just trying to help others? no way fam i'm with the UN all day long 
they deserve so much better than this 
... the way the Houthi government is treating these UN staff is just horrific 
. I mean, accusations of spying for Israel? That's a pretty big accusation to make without any concrete evidence, you know? And now dozens of people are going to be put on trial? It's just so unfair 
.
. The UN should really be doing more to protect its employees and ensure they're treated fairly.
. If this is how the Houthi government treats people, what's going to happen when they get into a situation where they need help? The fact that the World Food Programme isn't commenting on this is just weird... can't they at least speak out against this kind of treatment? 
This is getting out of hand... UN staff should be able to do their job without being accused of spying for Israel 
Houthi's grip on the country needs to relax ASAP so aid can get through 
this is super worrying what's going on with the houthi gov & the un workers they're accusing them of spying for israel like wot? 
and what's really scary is that this could be a case of people being punished 4 doing their job 
this is so crazy, dont they know how to talk to people? alrigh so theres these americans and europeans working at un office in yemen and now houthis are accusing them of spying for israel who cares lol... but seriously what if its true tho like what if some people were using aid as a way to get info out or somethin? idk. dont wanna see ppl losin their life over this. also how hard is it to prove if theyre really spyin 4 the enemy?? 
. but at the same time, it is super concerning for the UN workers who are being held by the Houthis... like, 59 employees? that's a lot of people 
. and if some of those Yemeni workers could face death penalty... that's just not right 
. And what about the lives of all those UN workers who are still being held by the group? It's like they're trapped in this nightmare.
.
Like, what's next? Are they gonna say that pizza delivery guys are actually spies too because they wear a hat with a logo? 
I mean, come on! The World Food Programme is like, totally innocent, right? 
Except when you're trying to feed people and you have to put up with this drama. I guess it's not the UN's fault that their staff got caught in the crossfire... unless they were secretly eating too much of that Yemeni coffee, haha! 
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but allegations of spying for israel are really concerning and it's not fair that yemenis are being held under death penalty penalties 
at least 59 people being detained is too many and it's affecting the entire organization's ability to help ppl in need 
gotta keep speaking out & advocating for these employees' rights & safety 
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. And what's with the death penalty threat? That's just a way to intimidate people into silence, if you ask me