Yemen Monitor/Newsroom:
The UN Secretary-General strongly condemned the death of a World Food Program (WFP) staff member on February 10 while arbitrarily detained by the de facto authorities (Houthis) since January 23, 2025.
In a press statement, Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his deepest condolences to the family of the UN employee and his colleagues at the World Food Program, and expressed his solidarity with all detained colleagues and their families.
Guterres said in his statement that the circumstances surrounding this horrific tragedy remain unclear.
He stated that the United Nations is urgently seeking explanations from the de facto authorities (Houthis). He called for an immediate, transparent and thorough investigation, and to hold those responsible for this incident accountable.
The Secretary-General noted that dozens of employees of the United Nations, local and international non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations and diplomatic missions remain in detention, some of whom have been held for years. He stressed that their continued arbitrary detention is unacceptable. He renewed his call for their immediate and unconditional release.
He added that the United Nations continues to monitor this situation closely and will take appropriate measures to ensure the safety and security of its staff in their efforts to provide services to the Yemeni people.
A father and a dedicated aid worker
The World Food Program expressed sadness and anger at the death of its staff member. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the program said that the employee, named Ahmed, had been a dedicated humanitarian worker with the World Food Program since 2017, and a father of two children.
The program expressed its sadness for this tragic loss, and offered its condolences to the family of the deceased and his loved ones. Cindy McCain, the program’s executive director, said she was “saddened and outraged by the tragic loss of a member of the World Food Program team, Ahmed, who lost his life while being arbitrarily detained in Yemen.”
In a post on her page on the X website, McCain confirmed that Ahmed played a crucial role in the program’s mission to provide life-saving food assistance.
The World Food Program stressed the need to provide protection for aid workers at all times and not to target them while performing their humanitarian work.
