Houthis ask UN staff from US, UK to leave Yemen

Yemen's Houthi group has reportedly asked UN workers from the US and the UK to leave the areas under its control in a month.

An official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said on Tuesday that the Houthis told UN agencies that their American and British staff were unwelcome and should not return to the Houthi-held territory, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to local media, there are more than 20 American and British nationals working for the UN in the Houthi-controlled areas.

The request came amid rising tensions between the US and British forces stationed in the Red Sea and Houthis, who have been attacking "Israeli-linked ships" in the region since the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict on October 7, 2023, to show solidarity with the Palestinians.

The US-UK maritime coalition in the Red Sea has carried out several airstrikes on Houthi camps in various northern provinces of Yemen. It said these actions are aimed at preventing further Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea shipping lane.

The Houthi group vowed to continue targeting ships linked to Israel in the Red Sea until Israel ends its attacks and blockade on the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian territory.

Last week, the US redesignated the Houthi group as a "terrorist organisation" and said the move would not affect food and medicine supplies to northern Yemen.

Indo-Asian News Services