According to the United Nations agency, workers from the World Food Programme (WFP) died in detention in northern Yemen, managed by Hooty.
WFP said the man was one of seven Yemeni staff members who were “arbitrarily detained” by local governments since January 23. It is unknown when and how he died.
His death was announced the day after the UN said it would suspend all operations at Northern Governor Saada, the hub of the Iranian-backed Hooti movement over security concerns.
The UN said it followed Houthis detention of eight additional UN officials, including six from Saada. Over 60 staff members from the United Nations, international non-governmental organizations and foreign embassies had already been held.
“This extraordinary temporary measure aims to balance the need to ensure the safety and security of UN officials and their partners with the order to stay,” said UN spokesman Farhan Hak said.
In a post on Tuesday in X, WFP executive director Cindy McCain said the worker who died in detention was named Ahmed, and he was “a dedicated humanitarian and father of two.” He said he supported food aid that saved lives.
According to WFP, he has been working for an agency since 2017.
McCain said she is “disastrous and furious at the tragic loss.”
“Humanitarians are #notatarget,” she added.
There were no immediate comments from Houthi authorities.
Yemen was devastated by a civil war that escalated ten years ago. This led the Horsis to seize control of the Northwest from an internationally recognized government and intervened to restore its rules from the US-British-backed Saudi Arabia coalition. .
The fight reportedly killed more than 150,000 people, causing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, causing 4.8 million people and half of 19.5 million people who need some form of assistance. I did.
Last month, the United Nations said it was actively involved with senior Hooty officials to ensure the release of all employees detained.
Despite their providing important lifelines, UN agencies regularly have problems reaching people in farther regions outside major towns and cities, and Houthi officials They regularly report obstructing the provision of humanitarian assistance.
Human rights groups have also condemned the move of luring, tortureing hundreds of civilians and detaining them intentionally.
In June, Houthis claimed it had dismantled the “American and Israeli spy network” following detention of 13 UN staff and more than 50 NGO workers and embassy staff. The UN Human Rights Director said the allegations were unfounded.
The UN Security Council is scheduled to discuss the situation in Yemen later this week.
Last month, US President Donald Trump returned the Houcis to his country’s list of designated foreign terrorist organizations over transport in the Red Sea and attacks on Israel.
