The UN on Sunday said Yemen's Houthis have detained at least 11 of its personnel in a move that will hinder aid delivery and peace efforts in the country.
The latest arrests add to the 23 UN personnel being held in detention by the Iran-backed Houthis.
“I strongly condemn the new wave of arbitrary detentions of UN personnel today in Sanaa and Hodeidah by Ansar Allah, as well as the forced entry into UN premises and seizure of UN property,” UN special envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said in a statement, using the Houthis' formal name.
“These actions severely hinder broader efforts to deliver assistance and advance peace in Yemen.”
The detentions came after the Houthis on Sunday vowed to intensify attacks on Israel after it killed the Houthi prime minister, Ahmed Ghaleb Al Rahwi, and other senior officials in a massive strike.
The UN's World Food Programme said in a statement to AFP that its “offices in Sanaa were entered by local security forces who have detained a staff member, with reports of other detentions in other areas”.
It said it was “urgently seeking additional information” from the Houthi authorities, who seized the capital Sanaa in 2014 and now control large parts of Yemen.
In January, the Houthi rebels detained eight UN workers, adding to those held since June 2024.
The Houthis have previously claimed that some of the earlier arrests included “an American-Israeli spy network” operating under the cover of humanitarian organisations. The UN has emphatically rejected the claims.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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MATCH INFO
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
