The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) announced on Tuesday the death of one of its employees while he was imprisoned in Yemen. This tragic news comes three weeks after the individual was detained by Houthi rebels. The WFP’s statement followed the organization’s decision to halt its operations in the northern region of Yemen, considered a stronghold of the rebels, due to escalating security issues stemming from the detention of numerous U.N. personnel in recent months.
Although specific details surrounding the cause of death were not disclosed, it was noted that the deceased was among seven WFP employees taken captive by Houthi forces on January 23. WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain expressed her heartbreak and outrage over the loss, noting on X that this individual, identified as Ahmed, was an integral part of the mission to provide essential food assistance. Ahmed is survived by a wife and two children.
Ahmed, a 40-year-old Yemeni national who started working with the WFP in 2017, passed away in a prison located in the northern province of Saada. The conditions of his death have not yet been clarified, according to a WFP official who spoke anonymously due to the sensitive nature of the situation. In light of recent developments, the U.N. declared on Monday that it would be suspending its humanitarian efforts in Saada after the Houthi authorities detained another eight U.N. workers.
This extraordinary measure to pause all operations in Saada resulted from the U.N.’s assessment of inadequate security conditions and the absence of assurances for the safety of its personnel. They have called on the Houthi rebels to release all abducted staff members. The ongoing detentions have targeted not only U.N. workers but also individuals linked to various aid organizations and the former U.S. Embassy in the capital, Sanaa. The Houthis have accused these individuals of spying, claims that many human rights organizations have described as unfounded. As of now, none of the detained U.N. workers has been freed.
The suspension of U.N. operations is poised to severely impact the global response to one of the most challenging humanitarian crises on the planet. According to U.N. humanitarian reports, seven agencies, including WFP, the World Health Organization, and UNICEF, operate in Saada, alongside numerous international aid groups. In 2024, around 350,000 people in this region were expected to benefit from U.N.-funded assistance programs which include vital food supplies and support for migrants and those displaced from their homes.
Yemen has been engulfed in civil war since 2014 when the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels seized control of Sanaa and significant portions of northern Yemen, prompting the government to relocate first to southern Yemen and then to Saudi Arabia. In March 2015, a Saudi-led coalition, initially supported by the U.S., intervened in an effort to reinstate the internationally recognized government.
The prolonged conflict has resulted in the deaths of over 150,000 individuals, including both civilians and combatants, and has largely settled into a stalemate in recent years. The U.N. has predicted that over 19 million people across Yemen will require humanitarian aid this year, as they continue to face challenges related to climate change, malnutrition, cholera, and the ongoing economic devastation from the war.
