Aid workers in Yemen are shocked by office raids and arrests: "I cried for days."

 A few months ago, Hanaa found "drawers and doors smashed, and the boss surrounded by security personnel" when she got to work.

In the end, the organization's bank account was suspended, her supervisor was imprisoned, and computers, phones, cameras, and papers were all seized.


In Yemen, Hanaa is employed by a US-funded non-governmental organisation (NGO) that promotes women's empowerment and teaches individuals how to resolve conflicts via dialogue.

However, life for NGO workers has become more perilous due to the nation's civil conflict, which has lasted for almost ten years and resulted in one of the greatest humanitarian crises in the world.

In recent months, Houthi militants have detained 24 UN staffers as well as staff from other domestic and foreign NGOs.

The atmosphere of terror has been heightened by a surge of arrests in January, including the death of a World Food Programme employee while in detention.

Humanitarian workers believe their freedom of movement has been severely curtailed as a result of the circumstances. Many organisations, including the UN, are consequently reducing their operations, which could worsen the situation for those already affected by the conflict.


The internationally recognised government lost control of much of Yemen's west, including the capital Sanaa, to Houthi fighters with Iranian support ten years ago. With intelligence and logistical assistance from the United States and the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia has subsequently conducted extensive airstrikes on its neighbour in an effort to stop the Houthi rebels from seizing control of the entire nation.

Hanaa fears reprisals if she speaks out against the Houthi officials who stormed her office and arrested her employer. Therefore, we have changed the names of Hanaa and other Yemeni people we spoke with for this piece for their protection.



Hanaa thinks the Houthis want to instill terror in the people by retaliating against aid workers. However, the public's reaction is what really pains her.

"When I checked social media, it was appalling to find out that people see us as spies," she continues.


Hanaa was glued to her TV the day after her boss was arrested, as a pro-Houthi channel aired what it called espionage confessions from nine locals who had previously worked at the long-closed US embassy in Sanaa. In 2021, they were taken into custody.

She worked for a US-funded NGO, and that's when she thought things would grow worse for her. She made the decision to leave her northern Yemeni home.

 

She is now concerned that the Houthis may target anyone involved in US-funded initiatives as a result of US President Donald Trump's decision to reclassify them as a terrorist organisation.


According to Yemeni attorney Abdulaziz, who represents 14 inmates, it can be difficult for someone to gain any support after they are imprisoned. Three of them are UN employees, and the rest work for regional nongovernmental organisations. They have been incarcerated for a number of months. "During the first three months of detention, my clients didn't communicate with anyone," he claims.


The fact that their location is still unknown worries Abdulaziz more and more. He reports that his clients were allowed to reach their families a few times in the recent past. "Each call was between five to 10 minutes," he said.