[12/02/2025 04:27]

ADEN - SABA
Prime Minister Dr. Ahmed Awadh bin Mubarak made Wednesday a phone call to the Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Program Cindy McCain, in which he conveyed the condolences of the government and the Yemeni people regarding the war crime committed by the Houthi terrorist militias in the assassination of one of the programme's employees after he was abducted and forcibly disappeared since January 23.

The Prime Minister, on behalf of the government and the Yemeni people, expressed condolences to the World Food Programme, all its staff, the family of the deceased and the humanitarian community for this tragedy, which cost the victim his life due to the negligence in deterring the practices of the Houthi terrorist militia.

The government has repeatedly urged the international community to take strict stances since the onset of the campaigns of arrests of United Nations and humanitarian agency employees, said Prime Minister.

He emphasized that the killing of Ahmed Ba'alawi serves as a wake-up call regarding the dangerous conditions of detainees and abductees in Houthi prisons and the urgent need for UN and international action to save their lives, protect humanitarian workers, and take strict measures to stop Houthi violations and the immediate and unconditional release of all abductees.

During the call, they reviewed the practices of the Houthi militias against humanitarian work and its workers, and the impact of this on efforts to alleviate the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, peace efforts in Yemen, and enhancing coordination between the government and the programme to ensure that aid reaches those in need.

Bin Mubarak praised the efforts and significant contributions of the World Food Program in supporting the government's efforts to alleviate the humanitarian crisis caused by the war ignited by the Houthi terrorist militias.

He reiterated the government's demand to complete the relocation of the main offices of UN agencies and international organizations operating in Yemen to the temporary capital, Aden, to ensure a stable environment for humanitarian work without obstacles and to limit the looting operations carried out by the Houthi militias, which misappropriate aid for what they call the war effort against the Yemeni people.

The Prime Minister expressed the government's strongest condemnation and denunciation of the brutal crime committed by the Houthi terrorist militia against World Food Program employee Ahmed Ba'alawi, continuing their criminal policies that undermine humanitarian work and deepen the suffering of the Yemeni people.

He emphasized the moral responsibility of the World Food Program, the United Nations and the international community to resist Houthi blackmail by using these victims as hostages to force them to retract any decisions aimed at dismantling the structure of this terrorist group.

For her part, the Executive Director of the World Food Program expressed her deep sorrow for this tragic loss of one of the team members.

She emphasized the UN Secretary-General's call for an immediate, transparent, and comprehensive investigation into this incident, holding those responsible accountable, and the necessity of providing protection for relief workers and not targeting them while performing their humanitarian duties.

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