Yemen's Houthi faction has reportedly issued a request for United Nations personnel hailing from the United States and the United Kingdom to vacate the territories under its control within the next month.
According to an unnamed official who disclosed the information on Tuesday, the Houthis conveyed to UN agencies that their American and British staff members were unwelcome and should refrain from returning to the areas held by the Houthi group, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
Reports from local media suggest that there are over 20 American and British citizens employed by the UN operating within Houthi-controlled regions.
This request comes amid escalating tensions between the US and UK forces positioned in the Red Sea and the Houthi rebels, who have been targeting "Israeli-linked ships" in the region since the commencement of the Israel-Hamas conflict on October 7, 2023. The Houthi actions are seen as a demonstration of solidarity with the Palestinians.
The US-UK maritime coalition in the Red Sea has conducted multiple airstrikes on Houthi camps in different northern provinces of Yemen. These operations aim to deter further Houthi assaults on commercial vessels in the Red Sea shipping lane.
The Houthi group has declared its intention to persist in targeting ships associated with Israel in the Red Sea until Israel ceases its attacks and blockade on the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian territory.
In the past week, the United States reclassified the Houthi group as a "terrorist organization," clarifying that the designation would not impact the provision of food and medicine supplies to northern Yemen.
(With Agency Inputs)
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