The World Food Programme (WFP) today confirmed the death in custody of one of its workers in northern Yemen after being detained by Houthi rebels in January.
The death, the WFP said in a statement, was announced without further details having emerged so far and without the group having made any statement on the matter.
In a post shared on the institution's social media account X, the WFP said the deceased, whose identity was not disclosed, was one of the employees detained by the Houthis since January 23 for unknown reasons.
The fatal victim had been working at this UN agency since 2017.
"We mourn this tragic loss and express our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones," said WFP, which reiterated its call to the Houthis for humanitarian workers "to always be protected, and never attacked, during their humanitarian work."
WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain said she was "devastated and outraged" by the death of a WFP worker after he was "arbitrarily arrested" in Yemen.
"A dedicated humanitarian worker and father of two, who played a crucial role in our mission to provide vital food assistance," McCain said on Twitter, adding that humanitarian workers "are not a target."
The UN on Monday suspended all operations in Yemen's northern Sa'ada province after several UN staff were arrested.
Since 2021, the Houthis have arrested several UN workers, a number that now stands at around 25.
The arrests, repeatedly denounced by the UN, come amid a deepening humanitarian crisis in Yemen, where nearly a decade of conflict between rebels and internationally recognized authorities has left 17.6 million people -- half the population -- food insecure.
