UN condemns, calls to investigate death of WFP staff in detention

The United Nations (UN) has condemned the death in detention on 10 February of a World Food Programme colleague who had been arbitrarily detained by the Houthi de facto authorities since 23 January 2025.

UN Secretary-general, Antonio Guterres who made this known in a statement on Tuesday said circumstances surrounding this deplorable tragedy remain unclear, and he is urgently seeking explanations from the Houthi de facto authorities.

He called for an immediate, transparent and thorough investigation and for those responsible to be held accountable while extended his deepest condolences to the deceased family, WFP colleagues, and stand in solidarity with all detained colleagues and their families.
Guterres said, “Dozens of personnel from United Nations, national and international NGOs, civil society organizations, and diplomatic missions, have continued to be detained, some of whom for several years. Their continued arbitrary detention is unacceptable”.

He renewed his call for their immediate and unconditional release, saying the United Nations continues to follow this situation closely and will continue to take appropriate measures to ensure safety and security of its staff in their efforts to deliver for the people of Yemen.

Report has it that a World Food Programme staff member has died in captivity in Yemen after being detained by Houthi rebels, the organisation said on Tuesday.
The man, who WFP’s executive director Cindy McCain named only as Ahmed, had been detained on January 23 with six others, the organisation said in a statement but did not give details on how or when he died.

Ms McCain said she was “heart-broken and outraged” by the death. A devoted humanitarian and father of two, he played a crucial role in our mission to deliver life saving food assistance,” she wrote on X.

It came just a day after the United Nations paused all humanitarian operations in the country’s Saada region after eight more UN staff were detained.
A total of 24 UN staff are currently in detention in Yemen, including thirteen kidnapped in June 2024 alongside more than 50 charity workers whom the rebel group claimed were part of “an American-Israeli spy network”.

The Iran-backed Houthi group remain in control of large parts of Yemen’s west, including the capital Sanaa and the Saada region, which it seized in 2014 from the internationally recognised government.

Since the conflict broke out, it has spiralled into one of the world’s largest humanitarian catastrophes. WFP says it provided assistance to 15.3 million people, or 47 per cent of the population, in 2023.

The United Nations has projected that more than 19 million people across Yemen’ll need humanitarian assistance this year as many deal with climate shocks, malnutrition, cholera and the economic effects of war.