By Faisal Abu Bakr | 2024-02-10

ADEN -- The Houthis' decision to expel United Nations (UN) staff with US and UK citizenship from areas of Yemen they control will disrupt humanitarian work and flies in the face of international conventions on human rights, analysts say.

In January, the UN received correspondence from the Houthis -- the de facto authorities in Sanaa -- that requested UN staff with US and UK citizenship leave the areas of Yemen under the group's control within one month.

Confirming receipt of the letter, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said "any request or requirement for UN staff to leave based solely on the nationality of that staff is inconsistent with the legal framework applicable to the UN."

He noted that it also "impedes our ability to deliver on the mandate to support all of the people in Yemen, and we call on all the authorities in Yemen to ensure that our staff can continue to perform their functions on behalf of the UN."

UN staff in Yemen are carrying out their work with impartiality, he said.

The Houthis' so-called foreign ministry, which is not internationally recognized, on January 20 delivered a written message to the office of the UN resident coordinator in Sanaa, and through it to all humanitarian organizations.

The message demanded that humanitarian organizations inform all employees of US and UK citizenship to prepare to leave the country within at least 30 days, and demanded that no US or UK citizens be recruited during this period.

The Houthis' latest edict "is a continuation of their policy of restriction and impediment of humanitarian work," economist Abdul Aziz Thabet told Al-Fassel.

It "stifles humanitarian work and disrupts relief work, at least in the near term," he said, until the targeted humanitarian workers are replaced by others.

Thabet pointed to the UN's principle of sovereign equality of all its members, which means the employees of member states may not expel them without the approval of the UN secretary-general.

Impact on Yemeni people

The Houthis' latest ruling will have an impact on the level and quality of humanitarian work in Yemen, which has already suffered setbacks as a result of the group's actions, economist Fares al-Najjar told Al-Fassel.

The UN had previously announced the suspension of its operations in areas controlled by the Houthis due to restrictions the group imposed on humanitarian work, he said.

"These restrictions caused organizations to suspend a number of their activities and projects in Houthi-controlled areas," al-Najjar said.

Furthermore, he added, the Houthis' recent and ongoing attacks on cargo ships "exacerbate the problem and limit the supply of food, medicine and humanitarian aid coming to Yemen."

All together, the Houthis' actions "exacerbate people's suffering, the food insecurity in Yemen and widespread poverty, and increase the rates of unemployment and inflation," he said.

The Houthis' decision to order UN employees with US and UK citizenship to leave Yemen "runs counter to the international conventions that Yemen has signed," said Fahmi al-Zubairi, director-general of the human rights office in Sanaa.

This action "constitutes a threat to the human rights situation in the country," he told Al-Fassel, and is "a continuation of the violations committed by the group in areas under its control against workers of international organizations."

Houthis' previous violations

In November, the Houthis expelled UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) deputy head Safireddine Sayed from the areas of Yemen under their control, Asharq al-Awsat reported.

Three years prior, the Houthis prevented the entry of OHCHR representative Renaud Detal, as it did with former representative Al-Obaid Ahmed.

In October, Save the Children confirmed the death of a staff member who died in detention in Houthi-controlled Sanaa and called for an immediate independent investigation.

Safety and security director Hisham al-Hakimi, a 44-year-old father of four, was detained on September 9 while off duty, the organization said.

"Despite repeated attempts by his family, legal representation and Save the Children's teams, no one was able to see or speak with him throughout the entire period of his detention," it said.

"No charges or legal proceedings were filed by authorities or reason given for his detention in Sanaa. In the circumstances, Save the Children will be suspending operations in northern Yemen with immediate effect."

Previous violations against aid workers include kidnappings, assaults and looting of aid intended for the Yemeni people, al-Zubairi said.

These actions "add new burdens and obstacles to the delivery of aid, which harms more than 24 million Yemenis who benefit from this aid," he said.

The Houthis' latest ruling comes amid escalating tensions in the Red Sea, where the group has been attacking merchant vessels. US and UK forces have conducted several rounds of strikes targeting the group's weaponry.