Twelve suspects were arrested on Saturday by Yemeni security forces in connection with the murder of a UN World Food Program (WFP) employee, Moayad Hameidi. The arrest comes as part of an ongoing operation to identify those behind the drive-by shooting, according to an anonymous government official.
The operation was initiated by Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) chairman, Rashad Al-Alimi, following his condemnation of the assassination. Al-Alimi also reassured UN Secretary-General António Guterres of Yemen’s commitment to justice and support for humanitarian efforts.
Hameidi, a newly assigned director for the WFP office in the Taiz province of Yemen, was killed by unidentified motorcycle assailants as he left a restaurant in At Turbah. WFP confirmed in a statement that Hameidi, a dedicated 18-year humanitarian worker and Jordanian national, passed away shortly after hospital admission.
In the wake of the killing, the WFP and international bodies have called for justice. This event highlights the dangerous climate in Yemen, currently embroiled in a civil war since 2014, which has severely disrupted the food supply and brought the country close to collapse.