DUBAI — The United Nations and NGOs voiced 'grave concern' Saturday over the referral for criminal prosecution of a large number of their staff who have been 'arbitrarily detained' by Yemen's Houthi rebels and renewed calls for their immediate release.
The Iran-backed Houthis have detained dozens of staff from the UN and other humanitarian organizations, most of them since June, claiming they are members of a 'US-Israeli spy network,' a charge the United Nations denies.