A dozen UN international staffers leave Yemen after being released by Houthis

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UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Houthi rebels released a dozen United Nations international staffers Wednesday and allowed three others to move freely within the U.N. compound after detaining them in the facility in Yemen's capital over the weekend, according to the world body.

The 12 international staffers departed Sanaa on a U.N. humanitarian flight, with some relocating to Jordan to continue their work there. More than 50 U.N. staffers are still detained by the Houthis as well as other non-government and civil society personnel from various diplomatic missions.

“The UN, at all levels, continues to be seized with the matter and is in constant contact with the relevant authorities in Sana’a and with concerned Member States and partners to secure their release,” the office of U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement. “We renew the Secretary-General’s call for their immediate and unconditional release.”

The Houthis have a long-running crackdown against the U.N. and others working in Yemen’s rebel-held areas. The rebels have claimed, without evidence, that detained U.N. staff and employees of other organizations and embassies were spies, which the U.N. has denied.

The detentions Sunday came a day after the Houthis raided another U.N. facility in Sanaa, but all staff there were reported to be safe. Those detained Sunday included five Yemenis and 15 international staff. The rebels released another 11 U.N. staffers after questioning.

A U.N. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the raid, said over the weekend that the rebels confiscated all communications equipment from the facility, including phones, servers and computers.

The official said those detained belonged to multiple U.N. agencies including the World Food Program, UNICEF and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The rebels also raided U.N. offices in Sanaa on Aug. 31 and detained 19 employees, according to the U.N. They later released the deputy director of the UNICEF office in the country.

Guterres spoke this week with the foreign ministers and leaders of Iran, Yemen and Saudi Arabia about how they can assist in the release of U.N. staffers.

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Magdy reported from Cairo.