(United Nations) Five UN staff have been kidnapped in war-torn southern Yemen, the United Nations announced on Sunday.
Posted at 5:47 p.m.
They were kidnapped in the governorate of Abyan (south) on Friday as they returned to the port city of Aden “after carrying out a field mission”, said a spokeswoman for the UN, Eri Kaneko.
“The United Nations is in close contact with the authorities to ensure their release,” added Mr.me Kaneko.
The identity of the kidnappers has not been specified.
Aden became the base of Yemen’s internationally recognized government after it was ousted from the capital Sanaa by Houthi rebels in 2014.
A Saudi-led coalition has supported the government in its war against the Iran-backed Houthis since 2015.
The conflict has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced millions of people. According to the UN, this is the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.