UN Employee Dies in Houthi Detention Amid Suspension of Aid Operations in Yemen's Saada

A United Nations employee detained by Houthis in northern Yemen has died in custody, prompting the UN to halt humanitarian programs in Saada Governorate. The suspension follows months of escalating tensions over the arbitrary detention of UN staff in the region.

Ahmed Ba’alawi, a Yemeni national and Information Technology Operations Officer with the UN World Food Programme (WFP), died late Monday in a Houthi-run detention facility in Saada. According to a UN source, Ba’alawi was among seven WFP employees arrested in January while conducting humanitarian work in the governorate. His death coincides with the UN’s announcement to suspend operations in Saada, citing unsafe conditions and the lack of guarantees for staff safety.

A Houthi-aligned security source in Sanaa confirmed Ba’alawi’s death but offered no further details regarding the circumstances or cause. The UN has not publicly commented on allegations of torture, though the incident has drawn condemnation from international observers.

The suspension of UN activities in Saada, a Houthi stronghold, follows the detention of eight additional staff members on January 23, six of whom were based in the governorate. This marks the second wave of arrests targeting UN personnel in recent months. In response, Secretary-General António Guterres ordered a freeze on all programs and movements in Houthi-controlled areas, stressing that the detentions “severely undermine the UN’s ability to deliver critical aid.”

The incident underscores growing challenges for humanitarian operations in conflict zones, where aid workers increasingly face politicized detention. The UN has called for the immediate release of all personnel, emphasizing that such actions violate international law.