Iran-backed Houthis abduct a UN official in Yemen's Sanaa

The Iran-backed Houthis have abducted a Yemeni official working for the World Food Program in Sanaa on Saturday and took him to an unknown location. This comes as an extension of a series of kidnappings targeting locals working for international and UN organizations.

Human rights sources said that the Houthis abducted Abdullah Al-Baidhani, who works in the humanitarian field and is responsible for the IT department at the UN's World Food Program.

Houthi members took Al-Baidhani to an unknown location, refused to disclose his whereabouts to his family, amid concerns of him being subjected to torture like other abducted colleagues and forced to confess to false charges. The sources added.

The Houthi abduction came a day after the UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, renewed his call for the release of local workers from international organizations who have been abducted in Sanaa for over a hundred days.

Grundberg said it has been more than 100 days since the Houthis launched a wave of detentions "targeting Yemenis engaged in critical efforts related to humanitarian assistance."

The United Nations is cutting back its activities in Yemen in response to a crackdown by Houthis on staff working for the U.N. and other humanitarian, human rights, development and education organizations, the top U.N. aid official said Thursday.

Acting U.N. humanitarian chief Joyce Msuya told the U.N. Security Council that the United Nations has taken steps "to minimize the exposure of staff to risk in Houthi-controlled areas."

The U.N. has narrowed its focus to "essential lifesaving and life-sustaining activities," she said, and is deprioritizing broader activities to develop the Arab world´s poorest nation.

In June, the Houthis detained more than 60 people working with the U.N. and other organizations, according to the U.N. Human Rights Office. Days later, the Houthis said they had arrested members of what they called an "American-Israeli spy network." The Houthis´ claims could not be independently verified.

Msuya said the U.N. strongly rejects "false allegations" by the Houthis against humanitarians, including recent claims of U.N. interference in Yemen´s education system.

"These allegations threaten the safety of staff, further hinder the ability of the U.N. and its partners to serve the Yemeni people and must cease immediately," she said.

Msuya and U.N. special envoy Hans Grundberg reiterated Secretary-General António Guterres´ demand for the immediate release of all those detained including U.N. personnel, members of civil society, staff of diplomatic missions, private sector employees and individuals from minority religious communities.