UN Suspends Its Humanitarian Work in Yemen’s Saada After More Staff Abductions

Saada: The United Nations said Monday it has suspended its humanitarian operations in Saada, Yemen, after the detention of eight more U.N. staffers, affecting the response to one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters. According to Emirates News Agency, the UN stated that the 'extraordinary' decision to pause all operations and programmes in northern Saada province was due to a lack of 'necessary security conditions and guarantees.' The UN statement emphasized that the pause in operations is intended to provide time for the Houthis and the world body to 'arrange the release of arbitrarily detained U.N. personnel and ensure that the necessary conditions are in place to deliver critical humanitarian support.' It was noted that the recently detained U.N. staffers included six individuals working in Saada, a region on Yemen's northern border with Saudi Arabia, which has a significant impact on the UN's ability to carry out its operations.