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E-mail Xinhua, February 11, 2025
SANAA, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- A staff member of the United Nations has died in Houthi captivity in northern Yemen's Saada province, according to UN and Yemeni security sources on Tuesday.
A UN source in Yemen told Xinhua that Ahmed Baalawi, an IT operations officer with the World Food Programme (WFP), passed away last night in a Houthi detention facility in Saada.
The source added that Baalawi was among seven WFP employees detained by the Houthis in January while carrying out their duties in the Houthi-controlled province.
A Yemeni security official in Sanaa also confirmed the death of the UN employee but provided no further details.
The UN announced on Monday a temporary suspension of its activities in Saada after the Houthis detained eight more of its staff.
According to a UN statement, six of the eight detained UN employees were working in Saada. Under the circumstances, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres directed all UN agencies, funds, and programs to suspend operations in the province until security guarantees are in place.
The UN urged the Houthis to immediately release the detained staff and provide the necessary conditions for the resumption of humanitarian aid.
The Houthi group has not yet commented on Baalawi's death or the UN's decision to suspend operations in Saada.
A Yemeni government source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua last month that the Houthis detained at least seven Yemeni employees working for international organizations on January 23. The detainees reportedly worked with agencies such as UNICEF and WFP.
In June 2024, the Houthis detained employees from the UN and international and local humanitarian organizations in the capital Sanaa, claiming they were "key members of an American-Israeli spy network" allegedly linked to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.
The Houthis have controlled Sanaa and much of northern Yemen since late 2014, waging war against Yemeni government forces. The war has led to what the UN described as one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Enditem
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