BEIRUT—Yemen is currently facing an unprecedented confrontation with the United Nations and other international organizations that are supposed to provide an umbrella for humanitarian and relief operations. This is after some international organizations have become intelligence tools that go against the sovereignty and supreme interests of nations.
Sana’a’s foreign ministry revealed that a spy network made up of UNICEF and World Food Program officials was involved in providing classified information to hostile forces that was used to target Yemeni national leaders, sparking widespread controversy.
The scandal has raised major questions about the nature of the organization’s role in a country that has been under continuous siege and invasion for more than a decade.
In its latest statement, the Sana’a government’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed that the UN’s hasty denial of the charges before examining the evidence is a double standard that has become a hallmark of the UN agency.
The ministry said the secretary-general should request access to the evidence held by Mr Sana’a before issuing a negative statement exonerating those involved in the past.
This position was understood in Yemen as a cover for suspicious intelligence operations and revealed a degree of international collusion against a country suffering from a devastating war and a stifling blockade.
Sana’a’s decision to cease cooperation with some organizations was not made in vain, following a series of security arrests of individuals found to have leaked classified information to foreign intelligence services, primarily American and Israeli intelligence services.
More than 20 million Yemenis depend on international aid, but Sana’a’s government is adamant that the country’s security and sovereignty cannot be compromised or exchanged under any humanitarian pretext.
In this context, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor plays a vital role in regulating the activities of organizations and preventing them from deviating from the humanitarian path.
The ministry works closely with security authorities to impose strict oversight on the activities of international and local associations and groups, ensuring that their efforts are focused on supporting the poor, disabled, and those affected by the invasion, rather than serving the objectives of Western funders.
Martyr Sameer Bajra, a former minister, contributed to the creation of a disciplined humanitarian communication system with the organization’s representatives, while balancing national interests and international cooperation obligations.
He was an example of a humanitarian and national leader who dedicated his heart and soul to the cause of vulnerable groups, defending the rights of the poorest and most needy, including people with disabilities, the poor and families in need.
According to official reports, several humanitarian projects have achieved tangible results in the past few years, ranging from distributing aid to 1.5 million families to funding relief programs worth more than 5 billion riyals.
However, this momentum waned as Yemen became more supportive of the Palestinian people. Some funding agencies have cut support and diverted funds to other areas, a move that exposes the political nature of humanitarian funding and undermines claims of neutrality.
Sanaa argues that the problem lies not in the principles of cooperation with the organization, but in the transformation of some of the organizations into soft arms for carrying out intelligence and cultural policies targeting the fabric of Yemeni society, by supporting projects that appear to be related to human rights and development but actually violate national values and identity.
Programs such as “women’s empowerment,” “youth governance,” and “community participation,” despite their theoretical importance, are sometimes used to promote the degradation of values inconsistent with Yemen’s cultural and religious identity, and are exploited to shape public opinion in line with donor policies.
That’s why Yemen’s foreign ministry called on the United Nations to review its policies and correct internal imbalances after some of its agencies became umbrellas for espionage and lost a significant amount of international credibility.
He also warned that continuing on this path would leave the United Nations vulnerable to political infiltration by major powers seeking to undermine security and the independence of developing countries.
What is happening in Yemen today is not just a conflict between governments and organizations, but rather a test of the credibility of the entire United Nations system.
The big question now is whether the United Nations is truly the guardian of humanitarian work or a front for expanding Western influence.
The reality on the ground confirms that many relief programs are currently being used as instruments of political pressure, allowing or withholding based on political positions.
Faced with this reality, Sana’a appears to have chosen sovereignty over dependence, asserting that national dignity cannot be bought with aid packages and that those who justify espionage behind humanitarian slogans are essentially no different from armed invaders.