A World Food Programme (WFP) worker has died while in detention in northern Yemen, according to the UN agency. The man, identified as Ahmed, was one of seven Yemeni staff arbitrarily detained by local authorities since January 23. His death is the latest incident in a escalating conflict between the Houthi movement and the internationally-recognized government.
The UN has paused all operations in Saada due to safety concerns following the detention of eight additional personnel, including six in Saada. More than 60 staff members are being held by the Houthis, who have been accused of kidnapping, torturing, and arbitrarily detaining hundreds of civilians.
Human rights groups have raised concerns about the treatment of detainees, with reports of obstruction to humanitarian assistance delivery and alleged spy networks dismantled by the Houthis. The UN Security Council is set to discuss the situation in Yemen later this week.
The conflict in Yemen has resulted in over 150,000 deaths and 4.8 million displaced people, with half the population in need of aid. Last month, US President Donald Trump added the Houthis to his country’s list of designated foreign terrorist organizations due to their attacks on Red Sea shipping and Israel.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy7g474px2do