| Follow up to this story from yesterday, when we were told the staff were safe. |
"Yesterday, October 18, 2025, Ansar Allah security personnel entered the United Nations compound in Sana'a without permission. According to our latest information, 11 national staff members were released after questioning. Five national staff members and 15 international staff members remain in custody within the compound," TASS quoted the source as saying.
He added that the organization's representatives are negotiating with the authorities in Sana'a and the internationally recognized government of Yemen to quickly resolve the incident and release the detainees.
The day before, a Cameroon-flagged merchant vessel caught fire after being hit by an unknown projectile off the coast of Yemen and issued a distress signal. The Houthis have repeatedly attacked vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, but this time they did not claim responsibility. The Houthis had previously suspended attacks on ships during the first ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in March, but resumed them after fighting resumed in the Gaza Strip.