Yemen Monitor / (Xinhua)
Multiple sources in Yemen stated on Wednesday that the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has notified its staff in Sana’a and areas under the control of the Houthi group regarding the total suspension of all operations and the termination of contracts for 360 Yemeni employees, effective March 31.
A source in the internationally recognized Yemeni government, speaking to China’s “Xinhua” News Agency on condition of anonymity, said that the WFP in Yemen announced the decision to halt all operations in Sana’a and other governorates under Houthi control starting next March 31.
The source confirmed that this decision includes ending the contracts of 360 Yemeni employees—the program’s entire workforce in Sana’a and other Houthi-held regions—by the end of March.
Three Yemeni WFP employees in Sana’a told the same source that they attended a virtual meeting today called by the program’s leadership in Yemen. During the meeting, they were informed of the termination of their employment contracts and the suspension of all program operations in Sana’a and Houthi-controlled areas as of March 31.
A Yemeni official within the WFP confirmed to the agency that a meeting was indeed held today with all staff in Sana’a and Houthi-controlled areas, where they were formally notified of these critical decisions, including the cessation of operations and the termination of all local colleagues’ contracts starting March 31.
The official, who requested anonymity, explained that several factors led the program to take this decision, most notably “the program’s loss of a safe operating environment in areas under the control of the de facto authorities, as well as funding difficulties.”
He noted that 38 WFP employees have been detained by the Houthis for several months, adding that the program will continue to work within the framework of UN efforts until their release.
The Houthis have held control over the WFP’s main headquarters in Sana’a and other provincial offices since late August 2025.
There was no immediate comment from the Houthi group.
The United Nations accuses the Houthi group of detaining 73 local staff members from various UN agencies and organizations, some of whom have been held since 2021. The UN has repeatedly demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the personnel detained in Sana’a.
The Houthi group has controlled the capital, Sana’a, and most northern Yemeni governorates since late 2014, engaging in a conflict against the Yemeni government that has resulted in what the UN estimates to be the “world’s worst humanitarian crisis.”
