The ICRC said in a statement that Nourane Houas had arrived in Oman’s capital, Muscat, after being freed by her Yemeni captors.
Houas was kidnapped by a group of armed men on her way to work in Yemen’s capital Sanaa on Dec. 1, 2015. A colleague with her was released unharmed a few hours later but she was held.
She appeared in a video in May asking French President Francois Hollande to save her life.
Hollande “expressed his gratitude to all those who allowed for a happy ending to this ordeal,” notably the Sultan of Oman, according to a statement from Hollande’s office. He also cited the efforts of ICRC President Peter Maurer and members of his organization. In a Tweet, Maurer thanked everyone who worked to secure her release, saying “Respect for humanitarian workers and their neutrality is vital.”
Hollande praised “Nourane Houas’ courage during her long detention,” adding that he “shares in her family’s joy” over her release.
No group has claimed responsibility for the abduction and the ICRC said it will not comment on the identity of the abductors, their motives or the details of her release. Hollande also gave no details about the circumstances of Houas’ release.
“We are relieved and thankful that Nourane is now back with us, safe and sound,” said Alexandre Faite, head of the ICRC delegation in Yemen. “Her abduction was a terrible ordeal for her, as well as for her family, friends and colleagues. And it has obviously dealt a real blow to our humanitarian work in Yemen.”
Faite said her release “has taken a lot of effort, inside and outside Yemen and over many months, but finally we have a positive result.”
“Our priority now is Nourane’s well-being and getting her home to her family,” Faite said. “We would ask everyone to respect her and her family’s privacy at this time.”
The abduction of foreigners is common in Yemen, where militant groups such as Al-Qaeda and tribesmen use hostages to raise funds through ransom payments or bargain for the release of prisoners.
The situation in Yemen has worsened since 2014 when Shiite Houthi rebels swept into Sanaa. A Saudi-led coalition of mostly Arab nations entered the war in March 2015 on the side of the internationally recognized government.
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Associated Press writers Angela Charlton in Paris and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.
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