By Fariba Raad | 2025-02-21

International outcry over the recent death of a World Food Program (WFP) humanitarian worker in the custody of the Iran-backed Houthis has impacted the delivery of vital humanitarian aid to the war-torn country.

The Yemeni staff member, who had worked for the United Nations (UN) since 2017 and left behind a wife and two children, had been held by the Houthis since January 23, the UN agency said.

His death sparked fierce international condemnation, and prompted the UN to suspend aid operations in the Houthi-controlled Saada region.

"The circumstances surrounding this deplorable tragedy remain unclear, and the United Nations is urgently seeking explanations from the Houthi de facto authorities," UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on February 11.

France strongly condemned the death of the WFP worker "who was arbitrarily detained by the Houthis under inhumane conditions."

It demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all detained UN personnel, non-governmental organization (NGO) workers and diplomatic mission staff, calling for "complete, safe and unhindered" humanitarian access.

Houthis target aid workers

The aid worker's death marks a significant escalation in the Houthis' campaign against humanitarian workers, with dozens of UN and NGO staffers detained since mid-2024.

The group detained eight UN workers in January, including six in Saada, according to AFP.

Meanwhile, their more than 50 attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden have severely impacted humanitarian aid deliveries.

The attacks have been "detrimental to humanitarian aid, certainly for Yemen but also for other parts of the world, including Sudan," University of Kent professor of international relations Yariv Voller told Pishtaz.

The civilian population in large parts of northern Yemen have faced devastating consequences as a result of the Houthis' actions.

"Two-thirds of Yemen's population -- 21.6 million people -- are in dire need of humanitarian assistance and protection services," the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said in 2023.

"The risk of a large-scale famine has never been more acute. Tens of thousands are already living in famine-like conditions, with a staggering six million more just one step away from it."

Since then, the situation has worsened, with around 9.8 million children now needing humanitarian assistance, according to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) current crisis report.

"Around 17 million people are food insecure, 4.7 million of them at crisis levels."

Denmark recently announced a new $13.5 million contribution to Yemen's humanitarian response while demanding the immediate and unconditional release of detained aid workers.

"Humanitarian aid, and the personnel providing it, must not be held hostage in political power games," deputy permanent representative of Denmark to the UN Sandra Jensen Landi told the Security Council on February 13.