The United Nations World Food Program, on Tuesday, considered the killing of one of his employees in a Houthi detention center in Saada as a "tragic loss" for relief work.

The World Food Program in a statement expressed his "sadness and anger about the killing of one of his employees during his arrest in northern Yemen, which is subject to the Houthis.

The statement described the victim, Ahmed Baalawi, as a "loyal employee", saying, "This loyal humanitarian employee who has been working with the World Food Program has left since 2017 behind his wife and two children." 

The statement indicated that "Baalawi is one of 7 local employees of the World Food Program and was kidnapped by Houthi militias arbitrarily since January 23."

The statement emphasized that the killing of Baalawi is a "tragic loss", for relief work, again, his call to the Houthis "to protect the relief workers always, and never target them, in their humanitarian work."

Security and media sources said earlier to Al -Ain News that the employee of the World Food Program, Ahmed Baaloui, who is a Yemeni nationality, breathed his last under torture in a secret prison for the Houthis in Saada.

And Alawi, he is a Yemeni in his third decade and has been working as an information technology operations officer in the World Food Program since 2017 and was kidnapped by the militias on January 23 last.

Houthi military guarding one of the cells

Houthi militia was kidnapped last January 8 UN employees in addition to 17 employees who were kidnapped last June, which prompted the United Nations to suspend its work for 10 days in the coup areas before returning to its appeal early this month.

On Monday, United Nations Secretary -General Antonio Guterres, UN agencies, funds and programs, directed the temporary suspension of all operations and programs in Saada Governorate, northern Yemen, following the absence of the necessary security conditions and guarantees.

The United Nations faces a campaign of pressure by human rights defenders, who considered the international measures to protect its workers as “it was not at the acceptable level and did not rise to the level of danger that threatens the lives of workers” following the terror of the Houthi militia.