MOSCOW, November 9 (RIA Novosti) — James Conrad Massaquoi, a water engineer with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), has been released after spending over a year in captivity in Yemen, the UN said in a statement.
Massaquoi, a native of Sierra Leone, is a water, sanitation and hygiene specialist, working in Yemen since February 6, 2013, according to the UNICEF press release. He was tasked with helping to provide clean water and “sanitation services in order to improve the health of local children,” according to UNICEF. Massaquoi was abducted by unknown gunmen in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa on his way to Hodeida on October 6, 2013, according to al-Jazeera.
UNICEF stated it is “proud of the work James has been doing and look forward to his return to work for children once he has spent much-needed time with his family and friends.” The UN agency also thanked “those who have supported efforts to bring about his safe release and we ask that he now be allowed privacy as he enjoys his reunion with his family.”
Kidnappings are common in the conflict-ridden Yemen, where the government is on the brink of collapse and the country is destabilized by Islamists and tribal leaders, Reuters notes. Such incidents are a challenge in themselves, but they also prevent humanitarian agencies from running development programs in the region.
After the 2011 power transition, Yemen has seen an increase in terrorist activity, particularly by al-Qaeda fighters. The Houthis, the main opposition force in Yemen, have been protesting since mid-August. Their main demand is the government must stand down. Houthi militias have taken over many Yemeni cities, including areas of the capital Sanaa. The fighters claim their actions are aimed at protecting civilians from terrorism.
