WFP Chief Urges Release of 37 Yemen Staff Held Nearly 2 Years by Houthis
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Oct 29
WFP Chief Urges Release of 37 Yemen Staff Held Nearly 2 Years by Houthis
2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 29
Summary
Thirty-seven World Food Programme employees in Yemen remain detained by the Houthis, with some held for nearly two years, new executive director Luke Lindberg said as he pressed for their release.
All 37 are locally employed Yemenis, Lindberg said, adding that the detainees include some staff working for the U.S. government locally, though no Americans are among them.
Just three days into the job, Lindberg said he raised the case with U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz and called worker protection a priority as WFP limits operations in some areas for safety.
Yemen's war has left more than 18 million people acutely food insecure, including over 2 million malnourished children under five, underscoring the stakes for aid access.
Lindberg said conflict drives about two-thirds of global acute hunger, affecting 266 million people, while more than 700 humanitarians have been killed in active duty in recent years.