The World Food Programme said one of its staff members died while in detention in northern Yemen but didn't provide a cause of death.

The U.N. food agency says one of its staffers detained last month by Houthi rebels in Yemen has died in prison.

The total employees arrested since 2021 has risen to 24, a U.N. spokesman said. The Iran-backed Houthis have held them on murky charges of espionage and foreign intervention.

"Heartbroken and outraged by the tragic loss of WFP team member, Ahmed, who lost his life while arbitrarily detained in Yemen. A devoted humanitarian and father of 2, he played a

The United Nations said Monday it suspended its humanitarian operations in the stronghold of Yemen’s Houthi rebels after they detained eight more U.N. staffers, affecting the global response to one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.

A World Food Programme (WFP) worker has died while in detention in Houthi-controlled northern Yemen, according to the UN agency. The WFP said the man was one of seven Yemeni staff "arbitrarily detained" by local authorities since 23 January.

A World Food Programme staff member has died in captivity in Yemen after being detained by Houthi rebels, the organisation said on Tuesday. The man, who WFP's executive director Cindy McCain named only as Ahmed,