UN humanitarian official warns Yemen crisis worsening, cites 73 UN staff detained

Lisa Dalton, a United Nations humanitarian official, told council members that 73 UN staff remain "arbitrarily detained" by Houthi de facto authorities and that detentions and access restrictions are severely disrupting relief operations.

Dalton said de facto authorities entered multiple UN offices in Sana'a on Jan. 29, "commandeering equipment and vehicles," and have continued to withhold clearances for UN humanitarian air service flights to Marib; flights into Sana'a resumed over the weekend after a month-long suspension caused by lack of clearances. "These detentions of humanitarian workers are having a profound impact on operations," she said.

Why it matters: Dalton gave updated humanitarian figures showing a widening crisis. She said 22,300,000 people — roughly half the population — will need humanitarian assistance this…