UN Message of Reassurance: The assassination of Hameed in Taiz will not affect humanitarian interventions

With the assassination of the UN official in Taiz and activists accusing Houthi militias of being behind it for “malicious” purposes, concerns were raised about the fate of international aid to a population suffering the consequences of war.

However, these fears were alleviated after the United Nations reassured the Yemeni Presidential Council that its humanitarian interventions will not be impacted, and its relief programs for the Yemeni people in various fields will continue despite the latest terrorist attack.

On Friday, an unknown gunman assassinated the Jordanian head of the World Food Programme team in Taiz, Moeed Hameed, in the city of At Turaibah, south of Taiz province, Yemen.

Following the incident, the President of the Yemeni Presidential Council, Rashad Al-Alimi, made a phone call to the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, to discuss the developments in Yemen in light of the terrorist attack that resulted in the death of Moeed Hameed, the director of the World Food Programme office in At Turaibah, Taiz province.

Antonio Guterres expressed his “profound regret for the terrorist act that claimed the life of the UN staff member,” stating that he would convey Al-Alimi’s condolences to the UN Security Council, the United Nations, and Moeed Hameed’s family.

A UN Message

Guterres affirmed that “this terrorist incident will not affect the UN’s interventions and its relief programs provided to the Yemeni people in various fields,” reaffirming the international organization’s commitment to continue its “benevolent” efforts to bring peace, security, and stability to Yemen.

On behalf of the Presidential Council and the Yemeni government, Al-Alimi extended their sincere condolences to the UN Secretary-General and all employees of the international organization, expressing their solidarity with the humanitarian community everywhere in the face of this “painful incident that has touched the hearts of all Yemenis.”

Al-Alimi also pledged “the continuous support of the Presidential Council and the Yemeni government for the efforts of the UN Special Envoy to renew the ceasefire and resume a comprehensive political process that meets the aspirations of the Yemeni people.”

Earlier, a local source in Taiz reported that a masked gunman fired a barrage of bullets at the Jordanian head of the World Food Programme team, Moeed Hameed, as he was leaving a restaurant in the city of At Turaibah, south of Taiz, resulting in his immediate death.

The assassination of the World Food Programme staff member occurred shortly after international organizations and the UN were given permission to open official offices in Taiz to coordinate their humanitarian interventions, raising concerns about the potential halt to humanitarian work in the city, which is home to the largest population in the country and has been under Houthi siege for 9 years.