UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres ordered on Monday the suspension of operations of the UN agencies and programs in the Houthi-controlled governorate of Sa'ada in Yemen due to a lack of security, a UN spokesman said.

"The secretary-general has instructed the agencies, funds and programs of the United Nations, in the absence of the necessary security conditions and guarantees, to pause all operations and programs in Sa'ada governorate, Yemen," said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for Guterres.

Haq said the action was taken following the recent detention by the Houthi de facto authorities of eight additional UN personnel, including six working in Sa'ada governorate.

"The extraordinary and temporary measure seeks to balance the imperative to stay and deliver with the need to have the safety and security of the UN personnel and its partners guaranteed," the spokesman said. "Such guarantees are ultimately required to ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of our efforts."

He said the pause is to give time to the Houthis and the United Nations to arrange the release of arbitrarily detained UN personnel and ensure that the necessary conditions are in place to deliver critical humanitarian support guided by the principles of impartiality, neutrality, independence and humanity.

Haq added that the world body is fully committed to assisting the millions of people in need across Yemen.

A Yemeni government source last month, speaking to Xinhua on condition of anonymity, said the Houthis detained on Jan. 23 at least seven Yemeni employees working for international organizations. The detainees reportedly worked with agencies such as UNICEF and the World Food Programme.

In June 2024, the Houthis detained employees from the United Nations and international and local humanitarian organizations in the capital Sanaa, claiming they were "key members of an American-Israeli spy network" allegedly linked to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.

The Houthis have controlled Sanaa and much of northern Yemen since late 2014, waging war against Yemeni government forces. The conflict has led to what the world body described as one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Enditem

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