UN Condemns Death of One of Its Staff in Houthi Detention

Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, condemned the death of a World Food Programme staff member who was in detention by Houthi rebels in Yemen and called for an investigation into this "tragic incident." Reports indicate that this World Food Programme employee, whose death was announced on Tuesday, February 23, was Yemeni and had been "arbitrarily" detained by Houthi militants about 20 days prior. The cause of his death is still unclear. Mr. Guterres stated in a statement, "The circumstances leading to this tragic incident are unknown, and the UN demands an explanation from the Houthi authorities." The UN Secretary-General added, "I call for an immediate, transparent, and thorough investigation and urge the relevant authorities to be held accountable." The World Food Programme noted that this Yemeni staff member had been working for the United Nations since 2017 and had two children. This UN agency expressed its deep sadness and anger over the death of one of its staff members while in detention in northern Yemen on the social media platform X. The United Nations announced on Monday that it would suspend its operations in Saada province in Yemen following the detention of more of its staff by the Houthis. The Houthis, allied with the Islamic Republic of Iran, have controlled Sanaa, Saada, and other parts of Yemen for the past 11 years and have detained dozens of UN staff since 2021. The number of detained UN staff in Yemen has reached 24, with 8 of them recently detained. Six of the eight detainees in the recent period were UN staff in Saada, which is one of the main centers for UN and other global humanitarian activities. The humanitarian crisis in Yemen, which has experienced a prolonged war over the past decade, is classified as one of the most severe conditions in the world, with assessments indicating that at least 17 million people will still need food assistance this year.