# Aid Worker Security Report: State Detentions of Humanitarian Workers - Canonical dossier: [Web edition]() - Markdown edition: [Plain-text edition]() - Issue: Issue 007 - Rubric: The State as Threat / Detentions - Byline: Totally Fine Foundation editorial desk - Reading time: 8 min - Last reviewed: 2026-10-12 > A publication listing from Humanitarian Outcomes describes a report on detentions of humanitarian workers by state actors. It draws on verified global statistics from the Aid Worker Security Database, which counts detentions and kidnappings as major incidents only when the worker is held for more than 24 hours, and on 29 key-informant interviews and consultations. In Yemen, Houthi authorities have detained humanitarian and United Nations personnel, impeding humanitarian operations and access; according to the United Nations Security Council, at least 21 United Nations personnel have likely been detained since 2025-08-31. A World Food Programme aid worker died in Houthi custody on 2025-02-11. ## Cover - Kicker: Field dossier / global / state detentions of aid workers - Cover lines: Verified global statistics on violence and major security incidents affecting aid workers. / Detentions and kidnappings count as major incidents only when the worker is held for more than 24 hours. / The report is informed by 29 key-informant interviews and consultations with practitioners and security experts. / At least 21 UN personnel detained by the Houthis since 31 August 2025, according to the UN Security Council — a likely figure. / A World Food Programme aid worker died in Houthi custody on 11 February 2025. / International humanitarian law prohibits arbitrary deprivation of liberty. #### Hero visual provenance - Caption: Satellite image of Muwassam, Saudi Arabia, credited to Coordenação-Geral de Observação da Terra/INPE under CC BY-SA 2.0. - Alt text: Satellite image of Muwassam, Saudi Arabia. - Credit: Coordenação-Geral de Observação da Terra/INPE - Rights / license: CC BY-SA 2.0 - Asset: [View image]() - Original / provenance: [Open source]() ## Metrics ### at least 21 United Nations personnel — United Nations personnel detained by Houthis since 2025-08-31 - Category: detentions - Caveat: Likely figure attributed to the United Nations Security Council; 2025-08-31 is the start of the described period, not an independently verified count; does not cover non-UN humanitarian staff. **Source trail:** [unscr.com — Security Council Resolution 2730 (2024) on protection of humanitarian and UN personnel]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-unscr-com`); [hrw.org — Human Rights Watch account of Houthi detentions of UN and civil society staff in Yemen]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-hrw-org`) ### 29 key-informant interviews and consultations — Key-informant interviews informing the report - Category: methodology - Caveat: Methodology figure from Humanitarian Outcomes; no interview date given in the verified claim; does not represent a casualty count. **Source trail:** [humanitarianoutcomes.org — Aid Worker Security Report 2026: When the Threat Is the State]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-humanitarianoutcomes-org`) ### more than 24 hours — Detention/kidnapping threshold for major incidents - Category: definition - Caveat: Aid Worker Security Database inclusion threshold; detentions or kidnappings held 24 hours or less are not counted as major incidents. **Source trail:** [aidworkersecurity.org — Aid Worker Security Database incident search interface]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-aidworkersecurity-org`); [humanitarianoutcomes.org — Aid Worker Security Database codebook definitions and verification rules]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-humanitarianoutcomes-org-5`) ### 1 World Food Programme aid worker — World Food Programme aid worker death in Houthi custody - Category: fatalities - Caveat: Death date 2025-02-11; confirmed by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International; does not count other deaths in Houthi custody. **Source trail:** [hrw.org — Human Rights Watch account of Houthi detentions of UN and civil society staff in Yemen]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-hrw-org`) ## When the Threat Is the State ### A publication listing and its database A publication listing from Humanitarian Outcomes describes the Aid Worker Security Report. The report presents verified global statistics on violence and other major security incidents affecting aid workers. These statistics are drawn from the Humanitarian Outcomes Aid Worker Security Database. The report focuses on detentions of humanitarian workers by state actors and is informed by 29 key-informant interviews and consultations with humanitarian practitioners and security experts. **Source trail:** [humanitarianoutcomes.org — Aid Worker Security Report 2026: When the Threat Is the State]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-humanitarianoutcomes-org`) ### Counting detentions: the 24-hour threshold The Aid Worker Security Database includes killings, kidnappings, detentions and attacks causing serious injury. Detentions and kidnappings are counted as major incidents only when the worker was held for more than 24 hours. Incident reports are cross-checked and verified with relevant agencies. **Source trail:** [aidworkersecurity.org — Aid Worker Security Database incident search interface]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-aidworkersecurity-org`); [humanitarianoutcomes.org — Aid Worker Security Database codebook definitions and verification rules]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-humanitarianoutcomes-org-5`) ### Yemen: detentions, access, and a death in custody Houthi authorities in Yemen have detained humanitarian and United Nations personnel, and these detentions have impeded humanitarian operations and access. According to the United Nations Security Council, at least 21 United Nations personnel have likely been detained by the Houthis since 2025-08-31. A World Food Programme aid worker died in Houthi custody on 2025-02-11. **Source trail:** [hrw.org — Human Rights Watch account of Houthi detentions of UN and civil society staff in Yemen]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-hrw-org`); [who.int — WHO statement on detention of UN and NGO personnel in Yemen]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-who-int`) ### International law and Resolution 2730 International humanitarian law prohibits arbitrary deprivation of liberty. The Security Council described the Houthi detentions of United Nations personnel as violations of international law. United Nations Security Council Resolution 2730 addresses the protection of humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel and calls for respect for applicable international humanitarian law. **Source trail:** [unscr.com — Security Council Resolution 2730 (2024) on protection of humanitarian and UN personnel]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-unscr-com`); [hrw.org — Human Rights Watch account of Houthi detentions of UN and civil society staff in Yemen]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-hrw-org`) ### What the listing leaves open The listing does not independently verify the 21-person figure; it is presented as likely and attributed to the United Nations Security Council. The database's 24-hour threshold means that detentions shorter than 24 hours are not counted as major incidents in the statistics the listing draws on. The listing leaves open the full scale of state detentions, including any detention events that fall below the database's major-incident threshold. **Source trail:** [hrw.org — Human Rights Watch account of Houthi detentions of UN and civil society staff in Yemen]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-hrw-org`); [aidworkersecurity.org — Aid Worker Security Database incident search interface]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-aidworkersecurity-org`) ## Actors and positions ### Houthi authorities - Role: De facto authorities in Yemen - Confidence: high - Position: Detaining authority for United Nations and humanitarian personnel - Supporter framing: Houthi authorities present detained staff as implicated in espionage and foreign interference, including vaccine-related accusations. - Opposing account: United Nations agencies and human rights organizations describe the detentions as arbitrary and as violations of international law. - Independent assessment: Human Rights Watch documents arbitrary detentions and impeded humanitarian access under Houthi control. **Source trail:** [hrw.org — Human Rights Watch account of Houthi detentions of UN and civil society staff in Yemen]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-hrw-org`); [hrw.org — HRW account of forced-confession pressure on a detained WHO-linked aid worker in Yemen]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-hrw-org-2`); [who.int — WHO statement on detention of UN and NGO personnel in Yemen]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-who-int`) ### United Nations Security Council - Role: International security body - Confidence: high - Position: Framed Houthi detentions of UN personnel as violations of international law and adopted Resolution 2730 - Supporter framing: The Security Council presents protection of humanitarian personnel as required under international humanitarian law. - Opposing account: Houthi authorities reject external oversight and accuse some UN staff of espionage. - Independent assessment: Security Council statements carry legal and political weight but do not substitute for independent field verification. **Source trail:** [unscr.com — Security Council Resolution 2730 (2024) on protection of humanitarian and UN personnel]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-unscr-com`); [unocha.org — OCHA appeal to the Security Council for release of detained aid workers in Yemen]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-unocha-org`) ### Humanitarian Outcomes - Role: Research organization - Confidence: high - Position: Maintains the Aid Worker Security Database and publishes the Aid Worker Security Report - Supporter framing: Humanitarian Outcomes presents the database as verified and cross-checked with relevant agencies. - Opposing account: No direct opposing account in the provided material. - Independent assessment: Methodology includes 29 key-informant interviews and a 24-hour threshold for major detentions; reliance on agency verification is a scope limitation. **Source trail:** [humanitarianoutcomes.org — Aid Worker Security Report 2026: When the Threat Is the State]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-humanitarianoutcomes-org`); [aidworkersecurity.org — Aid Worker Security Database incident search interface]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-aidworkersecurity-org`) ### World Food Programme - Role: United Nations agency - Confidence: medium - Position: Employer of an aid worker who died in Houthi custody on 2025-02-11 - Supporter framing: UN and rights organizations present the death in custody as a documented security incident affecting aid workers. - Opposing account: No Houthi explanation for the death is present in the provided material. - Independent assessment: Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International document the death; no independent investigation outcome is included. **Source trail:** [hrw.org — Human Rights Watch account of Houthi detentions of UN and civil society staff in Yemen]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-hrw-org`) ## Claims and evidence ### The Aid Worker Security Report presents verified global statistics on violence and other major security incidents affecting aid workers. - Claimant: Humanitarian Outcomes - Evidence status: confirmed - Counterclaim: No direct counterclaim in the provided material. - Independent assessment: Incident reports in the Aid Worker Security Database are cross-checked and verified with relevant agencies. **Source trail:** [humanitarianoutcomes.org — Aid Worker Security Report 2026: When the Threat Is the State]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-humanitarianoutcomes-org`); [aidworkersecurity.org — Aid Worker Security Database incident search interface]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-aidworkersecurity-org`) ### The report is informed by 29 key-informant interviews and consultations with humanitarian practitioners and security experts. - Claimant: Humanitarian Outcomes - Evidence status: confirmed - Counterclaim: No direct counterclaim in the provided material. - Independent assessment: The methodology figure is stated by the report authors and does not by itself verify individual findings. **Source trail:** [humanitarianoutcomes.org — Aid Worker Security Report 2026: When the Threat Is the State]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-humanitarianoutcomes-org`); [reliefweb.int — ReliefWeb Entry: Aid Worker Security Report 2026]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-reliefweb-int`) ### The Aid Worker Security Database counts detentions and kidnappings as major incidents only when the worker was held for more than 24 hours. - Claimant: Aid Worker Security Database / Humanitarian Outcomes - Evidence status: confirmed - Counterclaim: No direct counterclaim in the provided material. - Independent assessment: The codebook confirms the 24-hour threshold and states that incident reports are cross-checked and verified with relevant agencies. **Source trail:** [aidworkersecurity.org — Aid Worker Security Database incident search interface]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-aidworkersecurity-org`); [humanitarianoutcomes.org — Aid Worker Security Database codebook definitions and verification rules]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-humanitarianoutcomes-org-5`) ### Houthi authorities in Yemen have detained humanitarian and United Nations personnel, and these detentions have impeded humanitarian operations and access. - Claimant: Human Rights Watch and World Health Organization - Evidence status: confirmed - Counterclaim: Houthi authorities frame detained personnel as espionage suspects and vaccination-related operatives. - Independent assessment: UN and human rights monitors document impeded access and arbitrary detentions in Houthi-controlled areas. **Source trail:** [hrw.org — Human Rights Watch account of Houthi detentions of UN and civil society staff in Yemen]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-hrw-org`); [who.int — WHO statement on detention of UN and NGO personnel in Yemen]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-who-int`); [unocha.org — OCHA appeal to the Security Council for release of detained aid workers in Yemen]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-unocha-org`) ### The United Nations Security Council said that at least 21 United Nations personnel had been detained by the Houthis since 2025-08-31. - Claimant: United Nations Security Council - Evidence status: likely - Counterclaim: No specific Houthi rebuttal to this figure is present in the provided material; Houthi authorities dispute external characterizations of the detentions. - Independent assessment: The figure is likely and Security Council-attributed, not independently verified in the provided material. **Source trail:** [unscr.com — Security Council Resolution 2730 (2024) on protection of humanitarian and UN personnel]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-unscr-com`); [hrw.org — Human Rights Watch account of Houthi detentions of UN and civil society staff in Yemen]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-hrw-org`) ### A World Food Programme aid worker died in Houthi custody on 2025-02-11. - Claimant: Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International - Evidence status: confirmed - Counterclaim: No Houthi explanation for the death is present in the provided material. - Independent assessment: The death is documented by human rights organizations; no independent investigation outcome is included. **Source trail:** [hrw.org — Human Rights Watch account of Houthi detentions of UN and civil society staff in Yemen]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-hrw-org`) ### International humanitarian law prohibits arbitrary deprivation of liberty, and the Security Council described the Houthi detentions of United Nations personnel as violations of international law. - Claimant: United Nations Security Council and International Committee of the Red Cross databases - Evidence status: confirmed - Counterclaim: Houthi authorities dispute the characterization of their detentions as unlawful. - Independent assessment: The prohibition on arbitrary deprivation of liberty is established in international humanitarian law. **Source trail:** [unscr.com — Security Council Resolution 2730 (2024) on protection of humanitarian and UN personnel]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-unscr-com`) ## Language record ### Hanaa - Role: aid worker in Yemen - Context: Hanaa described arriving at work after an office raid; computers, phones, cameras and documents were confiscated and her boss was arrested. Quotation text is available in the web edition and the cited original source; it is not republished in this machine-readable edition. **Source:** [bbc.com — BBC report: office raids and arrests of aid workers in Yemen]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-bbc-com`) ### detained aid worker - Role: United Nations or civil society staff member held by Houthi authorities - Context: The detainee described his treatment to his wife by phone; his wife shared the account with Human Rights Watch. Quotation text is available in the web edition and the cited original source; it is not republished in this machine-readable edition. **Source:** [hrw.org — HRW account of forced-confession pressure on a detained WHO-linked aid worker in Yemen]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-hrw-org-2`) ## Timeline ### 2025-02-11 — WFP aid worker died in Houthi custody - Event type: casualty\_update - Confidence: high A World Food Programme aid worker died in Houthi custody on 2025-02-11, according to confirmed reports by Human Rights Watch. **Source trail:** [hrw.org — Human Rights Watch account of Houthi detentions of UN and civil society staff in Yemen]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-hrw-org`); [hrw.org — HRW account of forced-confession pressure on a detained WHO-linked aid worker in Yemen]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-hrw-org-2`) ### 2025-08-31 — Start of likely UN-reported Houthi detention period affecting humanitarian access - Event type: humanitarian\_access - Confidence: medium The United Nations Security Council likely said at least 21 United Nations personnel had been detained by the Houthis since 2025-08-31; the detentions have impeded humanitarian operations and access. **Source trail:** [hrw.org — Human Rights Watch account of Houthi detentions of UN and civil society staff in Yemen]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-hrw-org`); [hrw.org — HRW account of forced-confession pressure on a detained WHO-linked aid worker in Yemen]() (`src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-hrw-org-2`) ## Visual essay ### Gallery image 01 #### Visual provenance - Caption: A neighborhood in Sanaa, Yemen, where more than 100 buildings were damaged, photographed in October 2015 by Almigdad Mojalli/VOA. - Alt text: Damaged neighborhood in Sanaa, Yemen, October 2015. - Credit: Almigdad Mojalli/VOA - Rights / license: Public domain - Asset: [View image]() - Original / provenance: [Open source]() ### Gallery image 02 #### Visual provenance - Caption: People wait for a mobile clinic, photographed by Julien Harneis from Sana'a, Yemen, shared under CC BY-SA 2.0. - Alt text: People waiting for a mobile clinic in Yemen. - Credit: Julien Harneis from Sana'a, Yemen - Rights / license: CC BY-SA 2.0 - Asset: [View image]() - Original / provenance: [Open source]() ## Linked visual references ### No real protection: deaths in Houthi detention raise urgent questions for aid - Photographer: The New Humanitarian - Publisher: The New Humanitarian - Recognition: Standing investigative report on the WFP aid worker death in Houthi custody. - Why it matters: Documents the death in custody referenced in the dossier, raising questions about protection for aid workers. - Original: [Open reference]() ### Yemen: Houthis Should Free UN, Civil Society Staff - Photographer: Human Rights Watch - Publisher: Human Rights Watch - Recognition: Core rights documentation of Houthi detentions of UN and civil society staff. - Why it matters: Provides independent reporting on the detentions that impede humanitarian operations in Yemen. - Original: [Open reference]() ## Media desk ### Breaking down the rations - Publisher: Wikimedia Commons - Media type: photo - Rights mode: direct\_image - Placement: Yemen: detentions, access, and a death in custody - Caption: Aid workers break down rations, photographed by Julien Harneis from Sana'a, Yemen, shared under CC BY-SA 2.0. - Why it matters: Shows food assistance logistics in Yemen, where a World Food Programme aid worker died in Houthi custody. The image shows the logistics of food assistance in Yemen. The dossier reports that a World Food Programme aid worker died in Houthi custody on 2025-02-11. Detentions have impeded humanitarian operations and access in the country. - Original: [Open media record]() #### Visual provenance - Caption: Aid workers break down rations, photographed by Julien Harneis from Sana'a, Yemen, shared under CC BY-SA 2.0. - Alt text: Aid workers break down rations, photographed by Julien Harneis from Sana'a, Yemen, shared under CC BY-SA 2.0. - Credit: Julien Harneis from Sana'a, Yemen - Rights / license: CC BY-SA 2.0 - Asset: [View image]() - Original / provenance: [Open source]() ### Expensive black market fuel in Sanaa - Publisher: VOA - Media type: photo - Rights mode: direct\_image - Placement: Yemen: detentions, access, and a death in custody - Caption: Black market fuel in Sanaa, Yemen, photographed by Almigdad Mojalli (VOA). - Why it matters: Illustrates economic pressures and access constraints in Yemen, where humanitarian operations face impediments. The photograph shows black market fuel in Sanaa, Yemen. The dossier reports that Houthi authorities have detained humanitarian and United Nations personnel, impeding humanitarian operations and access. The image does not depict the detention events. - Original: [Open media record]() #### Visual provenance - Caption: Black market fuel in Sanaa, Yemen, photographed by Almigdad Mojalli (VOA). - Alt text: Black market fuel in Sanaa, Yemen, photographed by Almigdad Mojalli (VOA). - Credit: Almigdad Mojalli (VOA) - Rights / license: Public domain - Asset: [View image]() - Original / provenance: [Open source]() ### Aid Worker Security Report 2026: When the Threat Is the State - Publisher: Humanitarian Outcomes - Media type: report\_pdf - Rights mode: linked\_reference\_only - Placement: A publication listing and its database - Caption: Report on state detentions of humanitarian workers, drawing on the Aid Worker Security Database and key-informant interviews. - Why it matters: Supplies the verified global statistics and interview findings behind the dossier. The report draws on verified global statistics from the Aid Worker Security Database, which counts detentions and kidnappings as major incidents only when the worker is held for more than 24 hours. It also draws on 29 key-informant interviews and consultations. In Yemen, Houthi authorities have detained humanitarian and United Nations personnel, impeding operations and access. - Original: [Open media record]() ### Security Council Resolution 2730 (2024) on protection of humanitarian and UN personnel - Publisher: unscr.com - Media type: report\_pdf - Rights mode: linked\_reference\_only - Placement: International law and Resolution 2730 - Caption: Text of Security Council Resolution 2730 on the protection of humanitarian and United Nations personnel. - Why it matters: Frames the international legal context for state detentions of aid workers. The dossier includes a section on international law and Resolution 2730. The resolution concerns protection of humanitarian and United Nations personnel, directly relevant to reported detentions in Yemen. It provides a legal reference for accountability and protection obligations. - Original: [Open media record]() ## Source readings ### State detentions of aid workers are the report's central concern. - Registry ID: `src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-humanitarianoutcomes-org` - Publisher: humanitarianoutcomes.org - Source type: research - Registry title: Aid Worker Security Report 2026: When the Threat Is the State - Editorial note: Treat this as the primary report source. Keep its database definitions and methodology separate from the Yemen case details, which are one part of the report's focus. - Original: [Open source]() The 2026 Humanitarian Outcomes report draws on a verified incident database and expert interviews to examine detentions of humanitarian workers by state actors. This source is the report titled 'Aid Worker Security Report 2026 – When the threat is the state: Detentions of humanitarian workers.' It presents verified global statistics on violence and major security incidents affecting aid workers, using data from the Humanitarian Outcomes Aid Worker Security Database. The report focuses on detentions of aid workers by state actors and is informed by 29 key-informant interviews and consultations with humanitarian practitioners and security experts. Its database includes killings, kidnappings, detentions and attacks causing serious injury. Detentions and kidnappings are counted as major incidents only when the worker was held for more than 24 hours, and incident reports are cross-checked and verified with relevant agencies. A documented case in this focus is Yemen: Houthi authorities have detained humanitarian and United Nations personnel, and those detentions have impeded humanitarian operations and access. A World Food Programme aid worker died in Houthi custody on 2025-02-11. #### Takeaways - The report uses a verified, cross-checked incident database with a 24-hour threshold for counting detentions and kidnappings as major incidents. - It treats state detentions of aid workers as a distinct and growing concern, based on interviews and consultations. - Yemen is a documented case: Houthi detentions have impeded humanitarian access, and a WFP worker died in custody on 2025-02-11. ### A humanitarian-portal listing of the 2026 aid worker security report. - Registry ID: `src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-reliefweb-int` - Publisher: reliefweb.int - Source type: humanitarian - Published: 2026-08-19 - Registry title: ReliefWeb Entry: Aid Worker Security Report 2026 - Editorial note: Read this as a distribution record for the Humanitarian Outcomes report, not as independent reporting; verify content against the original source. - Original: [Open source]() ReliefWeb hosts the Humanitarian Outcomes report on state detentions of aid workers, with the source metadata and original title. This ReliefWeb entry, published on 2026-08-19, carries the title 'World: Aid Worker Security Report 2026 – When the threat is the state: Detentions of humanitarian workers' and names Humanitarian Outcomes as the source. The entry is a portal record for the same report described in the Humanitarian Outcomes source: a study presenting verified global statistics on violence and major security incidents affecting aid workers, using data from the Aid Worker Security Database. Because this is a listing, it does not add independently verified reporting. Any factual claims about detentions, Yemen, or casualty figures should be checked against the underlying report and the numbered claims rather than attributed to ReliefWeb. #### Takeaways - ReliefWeb is the distribution channel, not the author. - The listed report focuses on state detentions of humanitarian workers and draws on the Aid Worker Security Database. - Use the original Humanitarian Outcomes source for methodology and findings. ### A statistical page on violence against aid workers, 2016–2025. - Registry ID: `src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-humanitarianoutcomes-org-2` - Publisher: humanitarianoutcomes.org - Source type: research - Registry title: Aid Worker Victims of Violence, 2016–2025 - Editorial note: Use this page only for the statistics it presents; do not infer trends or causality from the chart without the full dataset. - Original: [Open source]() The page presents incident percentages and a chart of violent security incidents by perpetrator type, drawing on the Aid Worker Security Database. This source page is titled 'Aid worker victims of violence, 2016–2025' and presents figures tied to the Humanitarian Outcomes Aid Worker Security Database, which includes killings, kidnappings, detentions and attacks causing serious injury. The excerpt shows that one category of incidents accounted for 27% of all violent incidents in 2025, while organisation offices, compounds, and project sites accounted for a further 20% of violent incidents, according to the page. It also includes a chart titled 'Number of violent security incidents by perpetrator type, 2016–2025\*.' The excerpt does not provide enough context to attribute these percentages to a specific incident category or to compare perpetrator types reliably. Read these figures as source-presented statistics, with detentions and kidnappings counted as major incidents only when the worker was held for more than 24 hours and incident reports cross-checked with relevant agencies. #### Takeaways - The page reports that 27% and 20% of 2025 violent incidents fall into two categories, but the excerpt does not identify the first category. - The chart covers 2016–2025, but trend claims are not supported by the excerpt. - Database definitions and verification practices apply to any figures from this page. ### A table of aid worker victims across killed, injured, kidnapped, and detained categories. - Registry ID: `src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-humanitarianoutcomes-org-3` - Publisher: humanitarianoutcomes.org - Source type: primary\_document - Registry title: Detentions of Humanitarian Workers: Incident Totals - Editorial note: Use this table as a snapshot of victim totals across categories; do not infer trends or causal explanations from the figures alone. - Original: [Open source]() The source presents total figures for aid worker victims, including detentions, with international and national staff affected. This page, titled 'When the threat is the state: Detentions of humanitarian workers,' includes a table of aid worker victim totals. The table lists totals for killed, injured, kidnapped, and arrested/detained workers, as well as internationals and nationals affected. These totals come from the Aid Worker Security Database, which records killings, kidnappings, detentions and attacks causing serious injury. Detentions and kidnappings are counted as major incidents only when the worker was held for more than 24 hours, and reports are cross-checked and verified with relevant agencies. The excerpt does not provide year labels or enough surrounding text to support trend comparisons. Treat the numbers as source-presented totals within the database's definitions. The page's title matches the report's focus on state detentions, a concern supported by the report's methodology: 29 key-informant interviews and consultations with humanitarian practitioners and security experts. #### Takeaways - The table provides totals for killed, injured, kidnapped, and arrested/detained aid workers. - Database definitions and the 24-hour threshold apply to these totals. - No trend or perpetrator comparison should be drawn from the excerpt alone. ### A report frame: state detentions of humanitarian workers - Registry ID: `src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-humanitarianoutcomes-org-4` - Publisher: humanitarianoutcomes.org - Source type: primary\_document - Registry title: Humanitarian Outcomes landing page for the Aid Worker Security Report on state detentions - Editorial note: Read this as a pointer to the report and its underlying database, not as the report's full text; keep the landing-page metadata separate from verified incident data. - Original: [Open source]() The landing page identifies the Aid Worker Security Report's focus on detentions of humanitarian workers by state actors and points to the Aid Worker Security Database as its source. This source is the Humanitarian Outcomes landing page. It lists an Aid Worker Security Report that addresses detentions of humanitarian workers and links to the Aid Worker Security Database. The page itself does not provide the underlying incident records; those sit in the database and codebook. The report draws on the Aid Worker Security Database, which counts killings, kidnappings, detentions and attacks causing serious injury. Detentions and kidnappings are treated as major incidents only when a worker is held for more than 24 hours, and incident reports are cross-checked and verified with relevant agencies. The report is also informed by 29 key-informant interviews and consultations with humanitarian practitioners and security experts. Its focus is on detentions by state actors, a category that includes the reported detention of United Nations and humanitarian personnel by Houthi authorities in Yemen, which has impeded humanitarian operations and access. According to the United Nations Security Council, at least 21 United Nations personnel had been detained by the Houthis since 31 August 2025; this figure is reported as likely and is attributed to the Council rather than independently verified here. #### Takeaways - The landing page identifies the report and the database but is not the incident dataset itself. - The report focuses on state-actor detentions of humanitarian workers. - The Security Council-attributed figure of at least 21 detained UN personnel since 31 August 2025 should be treated as likely, not independently confirmed. ### Searchable incident records for major attacks on aid workers - Registry ID: `src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-aidworkersecurity-org` - Publisher: aidworkersecurity.org - Source type: primary\_document - Registry title: Aid Worker Security Database incident search interface - Editorial note: Use this as the query layer for verified incident records; definitions and verification standards are set out in the AWSD codebook, not on this search page. - Original: [Open source]() The database page offers a searchable record of major security incidents affecting aid workers, with incident types and inclusion rules defined by the AWSD codebook. This source is the public search interface for the Aid Worker Security Database. It allows users to retrieve incident records, but the page itself does not restate the inclusion criteria; those criteria are documented in the AWSD codebook. The database counts killings, kidnappings, detentions and attacks causing serious injury. Detentions and kidnappings are recorded as major incidents only when a worker is held for more than 24 hours. Incident reports in the database are cross-checked and verified with relevant agencies. This means the search results should be read as verified incident summaries, not raw or unconfirmed field reports. When Yemen-related records are consulted, the reported detention of UN and humanitarian personnel by Houthi authorities should be understood as a documented impediment to humanitarian operations and access. #### Takeaways - The search page returns verified incident records rather than unconfirmed reports. - Major-incident status for detention or kidnapping requires more than 24 hours in captivity. - Verification with relevant agencies is part of the database's data-collection process. ### The codebook sets the threshold for major incidents and verification - Registry ID: `src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-humanitarianoutcomes-org-5` - Publisher: humanitarianoutcomes.org - Source type: primary\_document - Registry title: Aid Worker Security Database codebook definitions and verification rules - Editorial note: Read this as the methodological reference that defines what counts as an incident and how records are verified; it is not an incident log. - Original: [Open source]() The AWSD codebook documents inclusion criteria, including the 24-hour threshold for detentions and kidnappings and the cross-checking of incident reports with relevant agencies. This source is the Aid Worker Security Database codebook. It defines the incident types the database records: killings, kidnappings, detentions and attacks causing serious injury. The codebook states that detentions and kidnappings are counted as major incidents only when the worker was held for more than 24 hours. This threshold distinguishes brief holds from the major security events the database is designed to track. It also documents that incident reports are cross-checked and verified with relevant agencies, providing the methodological basis for treating database entries as verified rather than unconfirmed reports. The codebook does not by itself establish trends or causal links; it only sets the definitions and verification standards used by the database and by the Aid Worker Security Report. #### Takeaways - The codebook defines the four incident categories and the 24-hour threshold for detention and kidnapping. - Verification with relevant agencies is a documented step in the data-collection process. - The codebook is a methodology reference, not an incident dataset. ### Resolution 2730 calls for respect for international humanitarian law in protecting humanitarian and UN personnel - Registry ID: `src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-unscr-com` - Publisher: unscr.com - Source type: primary\_document - Registry title: Security Council Resolution 2730 (2024) on protection of humanitarian and UN personnel - Editorial note: Read this as the normative framework for protection; it does not by itself document specific incidents, which must be sourced from the AWSD or other incident records. - Original: [Open source]() Adopted on 24 May 2024, Resolution 2730 addresses the protection of humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel and calls for respect for applicable international humanitarian law. This source is United Nations Security Council Resolution 2730, adopted at the Council's 9634th meeting on 24 May 2024. It addresses the protection of humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel. The resolution calls for respect for applicable international humanitarian law. This legal framing is relevant to arbitrary deprivation of liberty, which international humanitarian law prohibits. The Security Council has described the Houthi detentions of United Nations personnel in Yemen as violations of international law. Those detentions have impeded humanitarian operations and access. A World Food Programme aid worker died in Houthi custody on 11 February 2025, a fact documented by humanitarian and human rights sources. Resolution 2730 provides the normative backdrop, but the incident itself is established through incident reporting rather than the resolution text. #### Takeaways - Resolution 2730 is a protection framework, not an incident log. - It calls for respect for international humanitarian law in protecting humanitarian and UN personnel. - The legal prohibition on arbitrary deprivation of liberty is part of that framework. - Specific Yemen detentions and the WFP worker's death are documented elsewhere and should not be read as the resolution's content. ### Houthis hold 73 UN staff and dozens of other humanitarian workers, HRW reports - Registry ID: `src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-hrw-org` - Publisher: hrw.org - Source type: human\_rights - Registry title: Human Rights Watch account of Houthi detentions of UN and civil society staff in Yemen - Editorial note: Read this as a rights monitor's incident log and legal assessment; keep its detention counts distinct from other UN figures. - Original: [Open source]() Human Rights Watch documents arbitrary detention of UN and civil society personnel in Houthi-controlled areas, with most detainees still held as of February 2026. According to Human Rights Watch, Houthi authorities have arbitrarily detained 13 UN staff and at least 50 staff from Yemeni and international civil society organizations in areas under their control. Since that time, dozens more staff of the UN and civil society organizations have been detained, while only seven have been released. As of February 2026, 73 UN staff and dozens of other humanitarian workers remained in Houthi detention, according to the Human Rights Watch account. The detentions documented here are consistent with confirmed reporting that Houthi authorities in Yemen have detained humanitarian and United Nations personnel and that these detentions have impeded humanitarian operations and access. International humanitarian law prohibits arbitrary deprivation of liberty, and the Security Council has described Houthi detentions of United Nations personnel as violations of international law. #### Takeaways - HRW records 13 UN staff and at least 50 civil society staff initially detained; only seven were released as of the account. - As of February 2026, 73 UN staff and dozens of other humanitarian workers remained detained. - The detentions are framed as arbitrary and as violations of international humanitarian law. ### Detained worker says Houthis pressed him to confess vaccines were 'espionage tools' - Registry ID: `src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-hrw-org-2` - Publisher: hrw.org - Source type: human\_rights - Registry title: HRW account of forced-confession pressure on a detained WHO-linked aid worker in Yemen - Editorial note: Read as one family's account relayed to Human Rights Watch; keep the specific torture and espionage allegations distinct from the broader verified detention counts. - Original: [Open source]() A wife's account to Human Rights Watch describes solitary confinement, torture and psychological pressure aimed at forcing a confession. Human Rights Watch has documented an account in which a detained man told his wife by phone that he was subjected to 'quotation omitted from the machine-readable edition' throughout his detention. According to the wife, the Houthis — who are against vaccinations — tried to force him to confess that vaccines were 'nothing but espionage tools' and that he was 'a spy recruited by the World Health Organization.' The account is an individual allegation reported by a family member to Human Rights Watch; it sits within broader confirmed reporting that Houthi authorities in Yemen have detained humanitarian and United Nations personnel and that these detentions have impeded humanitarian operations and access. International humanitarian law prohibits arbitrary deprivation of liberty, and the Security Council has described the Houthi detentions of United Nations personnel as violations of international law. #### Takeaways - The account alleges solitary confinement, torture and severe psychological pressure. - It describes attempts to force a confession linking vaccines to espionage and WHO recruitment. - The claim is a family account documented by HRW, not an independent verified finding. ### OCHA: aid worker detentions hit operations as 22.3 million people need help - Registry ID: `src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-unocha-org` - Publisher: unocha.org - Source type: official\_position - Registry title: OCHA appeal to the Security Council for release of detained aid workers in Yemen - Editorial note: Read as an official humanitarian-coordination position; keep OCHA's operational-impact statements separate from the Security Council's likely detention count. - Original: [Open source]() OCHA tells the Security Council that clearance failures and detentions are disrupting aid just as humanitarian need deepens. In remarks to the Security Council, OCHA reports that a month-long suspension of operations was caused by the lack of necessary clearances from the de facto authorities. OCHA states that the detentions of humanitarian workers are having a profound impact on operations, and that such interference and impediments come at a time when the humanitarian situation is more desperate than ever. This year, 22.3 million people — or half the population — are in need, according to OCHA. The operational impact described here aligns with confirmed reporting that Houthi authorities in Yemen have detained humanitarian and United Nations personnel and that these detentions have impeded humanitarian operations and access. #### Takeaways - OCHA links a month-long suspension to missing clearances from de facto authorities. - It says detentions are having a profound impact on humanitarian operations. - OCHA's estimate for this year is 22.3 million people in need — half the population. ### OCHA: over 1,000 aid workers killed in 3 years, often by Member States - Registry ID: `src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-unocha-org-2` - Publisher: unocha.org - Source type: official\_position - Registry title: UN Relief Chief demands accountability after more than 1,000 aid workers killed in three years - Editorial note: Read as OCHA's official accountability demand; the three-year death figure is the source's own reported aggregate and should not be treated as an independently dated event list. - Original: [Open source]() The UN Relief Chief calls for accountability following OCHA's reported toll of aid-worker killings. According to OCHA, more than 1,000 aid workers were killed over a three-year period, often at the hands of Member States. The UN Relief Chief demands accountability in response to this toll, as presented in the OCHA statement. The figure is a reported aggregate and is not broken down by incident or date in the supplied excerpt; it should be read as OCHA's own tally, not as an independently verified event list. #### Takeaways - OCHA reports more than 1,000 aid workers killed in a three-year period. - The UN Relief Chief demands accountability, with many killings attributed to Member States. - The figure is OCHA's reported toll, not an independently dated event list. ### WHO says detentions are unprecedented and block aid to 18.2 million people - Registry ID: `src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-who-int` - Publisher: who.int - Source type: official\_position - Registry title: WHO statement on detention of UN and NGO personnel in Yemen - Editorial note: Read this as an official position statement, not as an incident dataset; its needs figure comes from the statement, not from the Aid Worker Security Database. - Original: [Open source]() A WHO statement warns that detaining UN and NGO personnel is directly impeding humanitarian reach in Yemen. The statement describes the detention of United Nations and nongovernmental organization personnel in Yemen as unprecedented and says it directly impedes the ability to reach the most vulnerable people, including the 18.2 million people who need humanitarian aid and protection, according to the WHO text. The framing aligns with confirmed reporting that Houthi authorities in Yemen have detained humanitarian and United Nations personnel, and that those detentions have impeded humanitarian operations and access. International humanitarian law prohibits arbitrary deprivation of liberty, and the Security Council has described the Houthi detentions of United Nations personnel as violations of international law. #### Takeaways - The WHO statement frames detentions as a direct operational obstruction, not a legal analysis. - The 18.2 million needs figure is attributed to the statement and is not independently verified here. - Official positions should be read alongside incident data, which counts only verified major incidents. ### Aid workers describe smashed offices, confiscated equipment and arrests - Registry ID: `src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-bbc-com` - Publisher: bbc.com - Source type: news - Registry title: BBC report: office raids and arrests of aid workers in Yemen - Editorial note: Treat the first-person account as field testimony; the BBC piece is a news report and does not itself confirm incidents under the AWSD's verified criteria. - Original: [Open source]() A BBC report from 20 February 2025 documents raids on aid organizations in Yemen through witness accounts. The BBC report, dated 20 February 2025, describes an aid worker arriving at work to find drawers and doors smashed, the boss surrounded by security personnel, and computers, phones, cameras and documents confiscated. The report notes that about half of Yemen's population needs humanitarian assistance, including nearly 10 million children. These accounts are consistent with confirmed reporting that Houthi authorities have detained humanitarian and United Nations personnel and impeded humanitarian operations and access, but the individual testimony is not itself a verified incident entry in the Aid Worker Security Database. #### Takeaways - The BBC piece provides witness-level detail on the raids behind the detention pattern. - Its population figures are from the report and should not be read as an AWSD statistic. - First-person accounts illustrate access disruption but need cross-checking before being counted as major incidents. ### A Save the Children staff member died in Houthi custody with no official explanation - Registry ID: `src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-thenewhumanitarian-org` - Publisher: thenewhumanitarian.org - Source type: news - Registry title: The New Humanitarian on an unexplained death in Houthi detention - Editorial note: Keep this reported case distinct from the verified WFP death on 2025-02-11; the report itself says no official explanation had been released. - Original: [Open source]() The New Humanitarian reports the unresolved death of Hisham al-Hakimi after arrest in Sana'a and detention at an undisclosed location. According to The New Humanitarian, Houthi authorities arrested Hisham al-Hakimi in Sana'a and took him to an undisclosed location; in late October, Save the Children announced that he had died in custody at age 44. The organization described his death as "unexplained" and called for an investigation; the report says more than 16 months later, neither Save the Children nor the Houthis had released official explanations. This reported case is separate from the confirmed death of a World Food Programme aid worker in Houthi custody on 2025-02-11. #### Takeaways - The source reports an unresolved death, not an established cause or legal finding. - It is distinct from the WFP death documented on 2025-02-11. - The lack of official explanation is the report's central problem, not a verified outcome. ### Military detains five Lamaing Charity Youth Organization members - Registry ID: `src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-englishclone-dvb-no` - Publisher: englishclone.dvb.no - Source type: news - Registry title: DVB report: five aid workers detained in Mon State - Editorial note: This is a national news report from Myanmar; do not merge it with Yemen data or assume the case meets the AWSD major-incident threshold. - Original: [Open source]() A DVB report dated 6 June 2024 says five aid workers were detained by the military in Mon State, Myanmar. The DVB report, by English Editor on June 6, 2024, says five members of the Lamaing Charity Youth Organization based in Lamaing Town were detained by the military in Mon State. The article is illustrated with an ambulance outside a public hospital in Ye Township, Mon State, credited to the Lamaing Charity Youth Organization. The Aid Worker Security Database counts detentions as major incidents only when the worker was held for more than 24 hours and when reports are cross-checked and verified with relevant agencies; this news report alone does not establish those conditions. #### Takeaways - This report documents a detention event in Myanmar, not Yemen. - The case is not independently verified here and may not meet the AWSD's \>24-hour threshold. - It should be kept separate from Houthi-related detention statistics. ## Analysis shelf ### When the threat is the state: Detentions of humanitarian workers - Publisher: humanitarianoutcomes.org - Type: report - Why it matters: Primary report framing state-perpetrated detentions of humanitarian workers as a growing security threat. - Position note: Humanitarian Outcomes' perspective; scope is the report's own analysis and data, not independent field verification beyond the stated methodology. - Original: [Open source]() ### The Aid Worker Security Database, 1997-present - Publisher: aidworkersecurity.org - Type: dataset - Why it matters: Underlying incident dataset used for verified statistics on killings, kidnappings, detentions and serious injuries. - Position note: Database maintainer's scope; counts major detentions and kidnappings only when held more than 24 hours; excludes shorter detentions. - Original: [Open source]() ### Security Council - Publisher: unscr.com - Type: official page - Why it matters: Official Security Council record including Resolution 2730 and statements on protection of humanitarian personnel. - Position note: United Nations Security Council's official framing; does not replace independent verification of detention figures. - Original: [Open source]() ## Media shelf ### 'I cried for days': Office raids and arrests shock aid workers in Yemen - Publisher: bbc.com - Type: media - Why it matters: First-person reporting on office raids and arrests of aid workers in Yemen. - Position note: Linked reference, not hosted material; BBC Arabic reporting. - Original: [Open source]() ### What unexplained deaths in Houthi detention mean for aid work in Yemen - Publisher: thenewhumanitarian.org - Type: media - Why it matters: Reporting on unexplained deaths in Houthi detention and their implications for aid operations. - Position note: Linked reference, not hosted material; The New Humanitarian reporting. - Original: [Open source]() ## Open questions - Keep the 21 United Nations personnel figure — likely and attributed to the UN Security Council, since 2025-08-31 — separate from any total of detained humanitarian workers and from the World Food Programme death or other incident categories. - Re-check whether the report lists additional state actors beyond the Houthis; no such actors are confirmed in the current brief. - Verify the publication date and whether the report is final or pre-release; these are not supported by the numbered claims. - Confirm whether the 24-hour threshold applies identically to detentions and kidnappings in all incident counts. - Do not infer a shift from non-state to state threats or any trend; the current verified claims do not support that framing. ## Source registry - `src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-humanitarianoutcomes-org` — [humanitarianoutcomes.org — Aid Worker Security Report 2026: When the Threat Is the State](); research; date not supplied - `src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-reliefweb-int` — [reliefweb.int — ReliefWeb Entry: Aid Worker Security Report 2026](); humanitarian; 2026-08-19 - `src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-humanitarianoutcomes-org-2` — [humanitarianoutcomes.org — Aid Worker Victims of Violence, 2016–2025](); research; date not supplied - `src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-humanitarianoutcomes-org-3` — [humanitarianoutcomes.org — Detentions of Humanitarian Workers: Incident Totals](); primary\_document; date not supplied - `src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-humanitarianoutcomes-org-4` — [humanitarianoutcomes.org — Humanitarian Outcomes landing page for the Aid Worker Security Report on state detentions](); primary\_document; date not supplied - `src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-aidworkersecurity-org` — [aidworkersecurity.org — Aid Worker Security Database incident search interface](); primary\_document; date not supplied - `src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-humanitarianoutcomes-org-5` — [humanitarianoutcomes.org — Aid Worker Security Database codebook definitions and verification rules](); primary\_document; date not supplied - `src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-unscr-com` — [unscr.com — Security Council Resolution 2730 (2024) on protection of humanitarian and UN personnel](); primary\_document; date not supplied - `src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-hrw-org` — [hrw.org — Human Rights Watch account of Houthi detentions of UN and civil society staff in Yemen](); human\_rights; date not supplied - `src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-hrw-org-2` — [hrw.org — HRW account of forced-confession pressure on a detained WHO-linked aid worker in Yemen](); human\_rights; date not supplied - `src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-unocha-org` — [unocha.org — OCHA appeal to the Security Council for release of detained aid workers in Yemen](); official\_position; date not supplied - `src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-unocha-org-2` — [unocha.org — UN Relief Chief demands accountability after more than 1,000 aid workers killed in three years](); official\_position; date not supplied - `src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-who-int` — [who.int — WHO statement on detention of UN and NGO personnel in Yemen](); official\_position; date not supplied - `src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-bbc-com` — [bbc.com — BBC report: office raids and arrests of aid workers in Yemen](); news; date not supplied - `src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-thenewhumanitarian-org` — [thenewhumanitarian.org — The New Humanitarian on an unexplained death in Houthi detention](); news; date not supplied - `src-aid-worker-detentions-2025-englishclone-dvb-no` — [englishclone.dvb.no — DVB report: five aid workers detained in Mon State](); news; date not supplied