Ongoing Houthi Violations Against Women in Yemen: What Do the Latest Statistics Say?
A staggering number of violations have been committed by Houthi militias against Yemeni women over the past seven years. More than 10,000 recorded violations include killings, injuries, abductions, and detentions, highlighting the suffering of women amidst Yemen’s ongoing conflict.
Systematic Targeting
The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms revealed that Houthis have systematically targeted women, documenting over 2,700 cases of killings caused by heavy weapon shelling and landmines, along with other brutal methods. Taiz province tops the list of the most affected regions, followed by Hodeidah, Aden, and Lahij.
The violations were not limited to killings. Thousands of women have been severely injured, with some becoming permanently disabled due to landmine explosions. The network also documented hundreds of cases of abductions and detentions, with women being forcibly disappeared in secret prisons.
Unrelenting Violations
Ahmed Jabari, Yemeni analyst and human rights activist, stated that these repeated violations have devastating effects on Yemeni society, increasing the suffering of women and exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. He emphasized that these acts represent a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and human rights.
He asserted that the international community and the United Nations must urgently act to stop these crimes, conduct transparent investigations, and hold perpetrators accountable. He also stressed the need for increased pressure on Houthi militias to halt their targeting of civilians, especially women and children.
He added that these alarming figures reveal the magnitude of the humanitarian catastrophe facing Yemeni women, underscoring the urgent need for international efforts to protect civilians and end the conflict in Yemen.
He explained that several reports recorded 776 cases of civilian abductions, including 26 elderly people, 61 children, and 6 women. Additionally, 126 cases of enforced disappearances were documented, involving 14 children, 5 women, and 4 elderly individuals, alongside 170 cases of physical and psychological torture.
Finally, he disclosed that violations against children in the province exceeded 350 cases during this period, mostly involving the systematic exploitation and recruitment of schoolchildren under the age of 15. Around 197 arbitrary arrests were also recorded against residents of the province during the same period.
