Norwegian relief group says staffers detained in Yemen

CAIRO – A Norwegian relief group says six of its staffers and a driver have been detained in the Red Sea port city of Hodeida by Houthi rebels.

Norway Refugee Council says in a statement that the rebels suspected the workers were distributing aid that originated from Saudi Arabia.

In the statement emailed to The Associated Press on Monday, the NRC says the arrest took place Feb. 14 when staffers opened hygiene kit boxes that were originally used for food sent by Saudi Arabia in January 2015, before the beginning of the air campaign by the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthis.

The statement says: "NRC does not take any funding from sources in Saudi Arabia due to the nature of the specific context and conflict."