Photo: Scott Darden and his family. (Posted on Free Scott Darden Facebook page.)

WASHINGTON – One of three American hostages being held in Yemen by rebels has been identified by friends and family as a 45-year-old employee of a New Orleans-based logistics company.

Scott Darden, who worked to bring humanitarian supplies to Yemen for Transoceanic Development of New Orleans, has been held in Yemen since March, 27, by Houthi rebels, according to the newly created Facebook page calling for his release.

The rebels took control of Yemen last year, and efforts to find and free Darden have become more complicated after the CIA, State Department and U.S. military pulled personnel from the country, as the security situation worsened. Saudi Arabia has been bombing rebel-held locations in Yemen for months, and the United States has continued with drone strikes.

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Diane Loesch, Darden's wife, told the Washington Post, which first reported the story, that she and the couple's son, Eesa, "are eagerly awaiting his arrival to come home." She said her husband "loved the Yemeni people."

John Schlichter, a family friend, started the Facebook page, telling the Post he is frustrated by the lack of progress.

"Americans deserve to know that their fellow citizen, a good-hearted man earning an honest living abroad, was taken prisoner in a conflict that has nothing to do with him," Schlichter told The Post.

Darden is from Atlanta and lived with his family in Dubai, according to the Facebook page.

Transoceanic spokesman Ken Luce issued this comment Saturday. "We have been working tirelessly since March with governments and other organizations globally to secure the release of Scott Darden, who was in Yemen coordinating the warehousing and delivery of humanitarian aid as part of his job in international logistics. We continue to call on the Houthis to immediately release Scott so that he can be reunited with his family."

On the "Free Scott Darden Facebook Page," family and friends posted a song about Darden's plight.

The U.S. policy toward hostages has been controversial, with American officials previously warning families they faced criminal prosecution if they paid ransoms.

But President Barack Obama in June ordered a change in policy, saying "the last thing we should ever do is add to a family's pain with threats like that." The president ordered State Department and other government officials to work more closely with families on efforts to return hostages from capture.

Still, government officials have said they don't want to encourage more hostage taking by paying ransom money.

The United Arab Emirates last month said its military freed a British hostage who was kidnapped 18 months ago by al-Qaida in Yemen.