Thirty-seven United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) employees are being held by Iran-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen, the agency’s new executive director told News Outlet on Wednesday. Some have been detained for nearly two years.
Luke J. Lindberg spoke as WFP personnel face mounting dangers in some of the world’s most volatile conflict zones. Hundreds of humanitarian workers have been killed in recent years while trying to help people in need, he said.
“At this moment in Yemen, 37 of our colleagues remain detained,” Lindberg said.
Lindberg takes over as the WFP confronts severe humanitarian crises and funding challenges, while his appointment gives the agency a direct link to President Donald Trump. (Fox News)
“These people are there to provide essential humanitarian assistance. They are not there to shape the political outcome of a conflict. We have to protect them and secure the release of our detained colleagues.”
Lindberg said all of the detainees are Yemeni nationals hired locally by the WFP. Some have been separated from their families for “nearly two years,” he said.
“It’s a highly complex political environment,” Lindberg said, adding that no Americans are currently among those detained.
“They are all locally employed Yemenis,” he said.
Only three days after beginning his tenure, Lindberg raised the detentions with U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, emphasizing the need to bring the workers home.
“Ambassador Waltz knows about the situation, and the State Department team has done an excellent job of treating it seriously. Securing their release is a priority for them, just as it is for us.”
Houthi supporters rally in solidarity with Iran during a two-week U.S.-Iran ceasefire in Sanaa, Yemen, on April 10, 2026. (Khaled Abdullah/Reuters)
“It’s been almost two years,” Lindberg said. “They have been away from their families. It breaks my heart.”
The detentions have occurred during Yemen’s devastating civil war between the internationally recognized government and the Iran-backed Houthis. The conflict has crippled the economy and left millions reliant on humanitarian assistance.
More than 18 million people are facing acute food insecurity, including more than two million children under age 5 who suffer from acute malnutrition.
“Our teams work under conditions that are among the most difficult and dangerous imaginable,” Lindberg said.
“People like me are not in the field literally handing out or cooking food. The remarkable people who choose to do that work are the true heroes.”
Lindberg said the WFP must weigh the need to reach vulnerable communities against the responsibility to protect its employees from unacceptable dangers.
“There are places where we can operate and places where we cannot. Ultimately, the goal is to end the conflict and ensure humanitarian supplies can reach those communities.
“Until that is possible, we will avoid certain areas so our staff remain safe and can continue doing their jobs.”
Yemen is experiencing one of the world’s most severe food-security crises. (Photo by Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images)
The threat is not limited to Yemen. Lindberg said conflict is responsible for about two-thirds of acute food insecurity worldwide, with an estimated 266 million people facing severe hunger.
“These are the most extreme levels of hunger we can imagine,” Lindberg said.
Those conditions have placed humanitarian agencies under increasing pressure to deliver food in some of the world’s most dangerous and difficult-to-reach areas.
“The World Food Programme has an outstanding team working every day in more than 120 countries around the world,” he said.
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Lindberg identified Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia among the most urgent emergencies. Conflict, displacement and climate-related disasters have pushed vulnerable populations in those countries toward famine.
The war between Sudan’s Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces has displaced millions and produced famine conditions in parts of the country. Lindberg said Sudan will be his first field visit as executive director, highlighting the crisis’s urgency.
“We are currently approaching famine conditions in three countries, primarily in Africa: Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia,” he said.
“Those are critical flash points for me. We must focus on them and identify the resources needed to meet those specific needs.”
Other emergencies include Gaza, where fighting, damaged infrastructure, access restrictions and funding shortages have made food deliveries more difficult, and Haiti, where gang violence has disrupted humanitarian operations.
World Food Programme assistance is shown at the Erez west crossing on the Israel-Gaza border. (IDF spokesman)
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, fighting involving armed groups has displaced millions. The war in Ukraine has also damaged agricultural production and disrupted food-supply chains worldwide.
Lindberg said one of the most troubling consequences of these conflicts is the growing number of humanitarian workers killed. Hundreds have died around the world in recent years.
“Sadly, more than 700 humanitarian workers have lost their lives while on duty around the world over the past few years.
“That is the worst possible outcome to me. It is completely unacceptable, and many WFP colleagues have also been caught up in those circumstances.”
Former U.N. World Food Programme Executive Director Cindy McCain delivers an urgent appeal for safe and expanded humanitarian access to Gaza from the Rafah border crossing on Oct. 25, 2023. (United Nations via Reuters Connect)
“If that happens, I am committed to calling every one of those family members. But my primary goal is to make sure it does not happen again.”
Lindberg takes the helm as the WFP responds to major humanitarian emergencies and funding shortfalls. His appointment also gives the agency a direct connection to President Donald Trump.
A South Dakota native, Lindberg previously served as undersecretary of agriculture for trade and foreign agricultural affairs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In that role, he oversaw international agricultural assistance initiatives, including the McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Food for Progress programs.
Lindberg succeeds Cindy McCain, who left the post this year. Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau served as interim leader. Six Americans have held the executive director position since 1992.
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters on the White House South Lawn before boarding Marine One in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026. (Bloomberg via Getty Images)
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and Food and Agriculture Organization Director-General Qu Dongyu appointed Lindberg after consulting with the WFP Executive Board.
Lindberg said Trump personally called to ask him to serve as the U.S. nominee for the position. He described the conversation as a sign of the president’s interest in humanitarian work.
“When the United States nominated me to lead the World Food Programme, President Trump personally called and offered me the opportunity,” Lindberg said.
“To me, that demonstrated his commitment to this work. He believes in peace around the world, and discussing how the World Food Programme can play an important role with the United States in meeting humanitarian needs was a moment I will never forget.”
Lindberg said his new position comes with a straightforward mission: “show up no matter what.”
That means prioritizing food deliveries to people in need, regardless of the political circumstances surrounding a crisis.
“Our goal is to deliver food safely and effectively while staying out of politics. Our mission is to feed hungry people.”
