Yemen.. Widespread international and human rights condemnation of the death of a UN employee inside a Houthi militia prison (special monitoring)

International and human rights condemnations have continued regarding the death of a UN employee in one of the prisons of the terrorist Houthi militia, which continues its war on humanitarian workers in Yemen, which is witnessing one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world.

Last Monday, the World Food Programme’s IT operations officer, Ahmed Ba’alawi, died, just about two weeks after the Houthi militia kidnapped him and five other UN employees working in Sa’ada.

The United Nations said it had lowered its flags across Yemen to half-mast over the death of the UN employee, while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the incident and called for "an immediate, transparent and comprehensive investigation, and for those responsible to be held accountable."

The Secretary-General also renewed his call for the immediate and unconditional release of all staff of the United Nations, local and international non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations and diplomatic missions still being held by the Houthis, including those held for years.

The United Nations flies its flag at half-mast in #Yemen and strongly condemns the death of a WFP colleague while in arbitrary detention by the de facto authorities (Houthis).

It calls for an immediate, transparent and comprehensive investigation and for those responsible for this incident to be held accountable. https://t.co/BFpuwG6MNP https://t.co/wLk7nAy29q pic.twitter.com/TTu9XjLi6t

— United Nations News (@UNNewsArabic) February 12, 2025

The incident was widely condemned internationally and by human rights activists, and there were demands for the Houthis to release the detained employees and hold the militia accountable for its crimes against humanitarian work in the country. Human rights positions also stressed the need for a firm international stance to put an end to these violations.

European Union

The European Union strongly condemns the death of a World Food Programme staff member while being arbitrarily detained by the Houthis since 23 January 2025.

In a statement, the European Union expressed its deepest condolences to his family and to the World Food Programme, and declared its solidarity with all arbitrarily detained employees and their grieving families.

The European Union called on the Houthis to conduct an immediate, transparent and comprehensive investigation into the incident and hold those responsible accountable.

The Union also called on the Houthis to stop arrests of employees of UN agencies, non-governmental organizations and diplomatic missions, which it said endanger the provision of humanitarian and development aid needed by the Yemeni people, renewing its call for the immediate release of all detained employees.

The Union stressed the need for the Houthis to return to the UN-led peace process in order to reach a sustainable solution to the Yemeni conflict.

France

For its part, the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs expressed In a press statement on Wednesday, it expressed its deep dismay at the death of the UN aid worker who had been arbitrarily detained by the Houthis in inhumane conditions since last January, and strongly condemned the group’s continued detention of UN, NGO and diplomatic staff, and called for their immediate release.

France renewed its call for the need to respect the protection of humanitarian workers and provide the necessary guarantees for humanitarian aid to reach all areas in need in a safe and unhindered manner.

Britain

Britain condemned the incident, and the British Foreign Office Minister for the Middle East, Hamish Faulkner, said, "I am horrified to hear that a @WFP staff member has died while in Houthi custody. Our condolences to his loved ones and to the UN family."

He added in a post on his account on the "X" platform, that "all threats directed at humanitarian workers are unacceptable. We condemn the arrests carried out by the Houthis and reiterate our call for the immediate release of detainees."

I am appalled to hear that a @WFP staff member has died in Houthi detention.

My condolences to his loved ones and to the UN family.

All threats to aid workers are unacceptable. We condemn Houthi detentions and reiterate our call for the immediate release of detainees.

— Hamish Falconer MP (@HFalconerMP) February 12, 2025

For her part, the British Ambassador to Yemen, Abda Sharif, said in a post on her account on the “X” platform, “The unjust detention of Ahmed and his death while in Houthi custody is horrific.”

“He was a dedicated humanitarian, working to deliver aid to those most in need in his country. Our deepest condolences go out to Ahmed’s family and his colleagues at WFP and the United Nations,” she added.

She pointed out that "the Houthis are still detaining many people illegally and without any justification," renewing the call for their immediate release.

Ahmed’s unjust detention and death in Houthi custody is appalling. He was a dedicated humanitarian, delivering aid to those most in need in his country. Our deepest condolences go out to Ahmed’s family and his colleagues at WFP and the UN. The Houthis continue to unlawfully detain many people…

- Abda Sharif (@abda_sharif) February 12, 2025

Widespread human rights condemnation

The incident of the death of the employee Ba'alawi in the Houthi militia prisons was widely condemned by human rights organizations, as a number of organizations stressed the need to open a comprehensive investigation into the incident and impose sanctions on the militia leaders and hold them accountable.

The statements denounced the international organizations' negligence and appeasement of the Houthis, holding them partly responsible for the Houthis' continued repressive campaigns against humanitarian workers, noting that the weak positions of these organizations encouraged the Houthis to persist in their violations.

Amnesty International

Amnesty International has called for an immediate investigation into the death of a UN aid worker while in detention in a Houthi-run prison in Saada Governorate, northern Yemen.

“The reports of the death of Ahmed Ba’alawi, a humanitarian worker with the United Nations World Food Programme, in a Houthi-run detention centre are truly horrific, and there must be a prompt, independent, effective and impartial investigation into the circumstances leading to his death,” she said in a statement on Wednesday.

The statement added that the Houthi authorities have a long record of using torture in their detention centers, raising concerns that Ba'alawi may have died as a result of torture or other ill-treatment.

“This incident raises concerns about the safety and well-being of all workers still arbitrarily detained by the Houthis, including more than 65 staff from UN agencies and Yemeni and international civil society organisations,” said Diala Haidar, Amnesty International’s Yemen researcher.

American Justice

For its part, the American Center for Justice ( ACJ ) considered the death of "Ba'alawi" as an inevitable result of the negative positions of international and UN organizations towards the Houthis, and a new episode in the series of blatant Houthi violations of international humanitarian law, which deliberately target civilians and humanitarian workers, in blatant defiance of all international norms and covenants.

The Center condemned in the strongest terms the negligence and negative stance of international organizations towards the systematic and escalating violations against humanitarian workers in Yemen, which it said "constituted a dangerous signal that encouraged the Houthi group to persist in its violations," stressing that the failure of these organizations to take firm positions to stop the arrests of the Houthis or hold them accountable is an unjustified failure, according to which they bear part of the responsibility for the continuation of these systematic violations.

While the Center held the Houthis fully responsible for the “heinous crime,” it called on the World Food Program and the United Nations to adopt a clear and unambiguous position, acknowledge the failure of previous international mechanisms, work to impose urgent sanctions on the militia leaders, support mechanisms to hold the perpetrators accountable, and ensure effective protection for humanitarian organizations in Yemen.

SAM Organization

For its part, SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties , in light of the incident, called for urgent international action to stop the Houthi violations against humanitarian workers in Yemen and protect them, stressing that the tragic death of "Ba'alawi" highlights the grave risks facing humanitarian workers in Yemen.

SAM considered that the continuation of these violations is largely due to the absence of unjustified pressure from the international community towards the Houthis’ practices, which encouraged them to continue to suppress freedoms and target civilians, including workers in UN organizations and agencies in Yemen.

SAM expressed its concerns for the rest of the workers, detainees and those forcibly disappeared by the Houthi group in light of the prevailing negative role of the international community, and the absence of any strong indications of pressure on the Houthi group to release the detained UN employees, calling for taking more decisive measures against the Houthi group and forcing them to immediately and unconditionally release all detained employees.

Monitoring Alliance

The Yemeni Coalition to Monitor Human Rights Violations in Yemen (Rasd Coalition) attributed Ba'alawi's death to being subjected to "severe torture" in Houthi militia prisons.

In a statement on the X platform, he said that the incident highlights the extent of the gross human rights violations in Yemen committed by the Houthis. It is likely to "negatively impact humanitarian efforts in the country and increase the suffering of civilians in need of assistance."

The coalition called for holding accountable the perpetrators of this heinous crime. We also call on the Houthis to release all civilian detainees in Yemen immediately.

We are deeply saddened by the death of Ahmed Ba'alawi, a World Food Programme employee, in Houthi prisons. His death, due to severe torture, highlights the extent of the gross human rights violations in #Yemen committed by the Houthis. This tragic incident will negatively impact humanitarian efforts… pic.twitter.com/1QhGrLJHjP

— Rasd Coalition (@ycmhrv) February 12, 2025