SANAA, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has confirmed the death of one of its staff members in Yemen.
In an official statement issued late on Friday, the WFP expressed its deep sadness over the incident, stating that the staff member was shot and killed by unknown gunmen in Turbah, a town in the southwestern Yemeni province of Taiz.
The WFP identified the victim as Moayad Hameidi, a Jordanian national who succumbed to his injuries shortly after being transferred to a hospital.
The WFP statement said Hameidi had worked for the WFP for 18 years and had previously served in posts in Sudan, Syria, and Iraq.
Hameidi had recently arrived in Yemen to assume the position of the head of WFP's office in Taiz.
"The loss of our colleague is a profound tragedy for our organization and the humanitarian community," said WFP Representative and Country Director in Yemen Richard Ragan. "Any loss of life in humanitarian service is an unacceptable tragedy."
The Yemeni government condemned the killing and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice, state TV reported.
Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war since late 2014, when the Houthi militia took control of several northern provinces, leading to the displacement of the internationally recognized government from the capital, Sanaa. This protracted conflict has resulted in tens of thousands of fatalities and has left the country on the verge of widespread famine. ■
