New York Times: UN Staff Held by Houthis in Yemen Excluded from Upcoming Exchange Deals

2025-12-25 09:30:45

New York – The New York Times has reported that the case of the 69 United Nations employees detained by Houthi militias in Yemen will not be included in the upcoming prisoner exchange deals, as their file is being handled through a separate negotiation track.

According to the report, current talks on prisoner swaps are focused on local conflict parties, while the UN staff remain under a distinct framework, amid mounting international and UN pressure for their release.

This development comes as criticism intensifies against the Houthis for continuing to detain humanitarian workers, a move seen as a direct threat to relief operations in Yemen, which is already facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.