Abducted Unicef staff released in Yemen

A UN Children's Fund (Unicef) employee who was abducted in Yemen last year was released through mediation efforts.

"James Massaquoi, who was abducted in Yemen's capital Sanaa Oct 6, 2013, was released Saturday and is safe and well," a Unicef statement said Sunday.

Hailing from Sierra Leone, Massaquoi was an engineer who helped provide water and sanitation services to improve the health of Yemeni children, Xinhua reported.

The security situation in Yemen worsened after the political upheaval in 2011, which severely weakened the government's control.

Since then, foreigners have been frequently abducted by Al Qaeda militants or tribesmen who ask for ransoms or the release of their jailed fellows.

In January, Al Qaeda militants released a South African woman in Abyan, but a ransom of millions was demanded for the release of her husband, who was abducted in May last year.

The identity of Massaquoi's kidnappers is yet to be revealed.