Representatives of international aid and humanitarian organizations operating in war-wracked Yemen say they are increasingly being targeted by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels on a scale that could jeopardize efforts to assist millions of civilians caught in what is already the world’s worst humanitarian crisis
Aid workers told Foreign Policy that they are facing threats of attack in the areas controlled by the Houthis, which includes western parts of the country and Yemen’s capital, Sanaa.
Members of the group detained one humanitarian worker, Awfa al-Naami, in late January and held her for weeks, releasing her on Feb. 16 after sustained diplomatic pressure. Naami is the country manager for Saferworld, a U.K.-based nonprofit operating in Yemen. Her detention rattled other aid officials and stoked fears that the group would stage similar abductions.
Several factors account for the escalation, according to aid workers and experts. One is that the Houthis are using humanitarian access as leverage to enrich themselves and consolidate their power. In a country where more than 80 percent of the population relies on some form of humanitarian assistance daily, the side that controls aid access wields immense political power.
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