Al-Hakimi’s Death in Sanaa Prison Sparks Worry Among Relief Organizations in North Yemen

The United Nations called on the Houthi authorities in Sanaa to provide sufficient information about the circumstances and causes of the death of a Save the Children employee, who died in Houthi prisons fifty days after his kidnapping.

The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, David Gressly, said in a statement on Saturday, “I am deeply dismayed to learn of the death of a staff member of Save the Children while in detention by Sana’a authorities. Hisham Al-Hakimi, who worked with Save the Children since 2006, was detained on 9 September.”

On Thursday, Save the Children said that Al-Hakimi had been kidnapped since September without legal justification, and his family was not allowed to know his whereabouts or the reason for his arrest.

Save the Children indicated that it “will be suspending operations in northern Yemen with immediate effect,” the charity said. This move will lead to the suspension of several programs related to health and nutrition, education, child protection, food security, and livelihoods. According to the data on the charity website, Save the Children reached seven million Yemeni people, of whom four million are children.

The death of Al-Hakimi has prompted worry among the UN organizations working in Yemen, given the disregard the Houthi authorities have shown toward the demise of the Save the Children employee. Gressly said, “The United Nations and partners are very concerned by the limited information available regarding Mr. Al-Hakimi’s death.”

According to Gressly, the Houthi authorities still detain three UN staff—two since November 2021 and one since August 2023 and the UN and their families have been unable to contact or see them.

A humanitarian aid worker in Sanaa told Sheba Intelligence that working with international relief organizations in North Yemen is no longer safe. “The authorities in Sanaa do not trust humanitarian organizations or those who work for them. They always show skepticism about the operations of the relief organizations and impose restrictions on their humanitarian activities.”

He added, “Working for an international can be rewarding. However, it is risky, and what happens to Al-Hakimi is proof.”

 The civil war, which broke out in Yemen in 2015, has created one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. According to UN reports, at least 21 million people, out of roughly 30 million, need humanitarian assistance.

Some relief organizations have helped mitigate the suffering of millions of civilians through relief programs. However, the unsafe environment and the brutal treatment can hinder the operations of these charities, depriving thousands of families of the aid they deserve.