Yemen: 350 Civilians Killed or Injured in Houthi Attacks Over Ten Days
Government data revealed on Monday that 350 civilians had been killed or injured in Houthi attacks since September 3.
In a statement, Yemen’s Ministry of Human Rights said it had documented, between September 3 and 13, the deaths of 150 civilians and injuries to more than 200 others, as well as the displacement of around 85,000 people. It also reported the destruction of property and families being deprived of their homes, livelihoods, and basic necessities.
The statement pointed to a military escalation and widespread violations committed by Houthi militias in several areas of the Taiz, Hudaydah, and Marib governorates. The escalation was accompanied by bombardments involving ballistic missiles, drones, and various types of weapons, as well as attacks targeting populated areas, displacement camps, and convoys of civilians fleeing the fighting.
In Hudaydah, the statement documented a direct attack on civilians as they were fleeing the Hays district, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries. In Taiz governorate, residential areas, including the Al-Shuqab area, were also shelled, killing a pregnant woman and her unborn child. Other attacks likewise forced numbers of residents to flee their homes.
The areas along the western coast were also subjected to extensive attacks targeting population centers and displacement areas. Meanwhile, displacement camps and residential neighborhoods in Marib governorate came under repeated bombardment by ballistic missiles and drones, resulting in children being among those killed and injured and exposing thousands of displaced families to direct danger.
The ministry noted that the violations also included raids and looting of the premises of international organizations, homes, and government institutions, as well as the abduction of a journalist, employees, government officials, and members of the judiciary. There were also reports of field executions and attacks on wounded people inside medical facilities.
It affirmed that targeting civilians and displaced people and their convoys, attacks on civilian and medical facilities, unlawful killings, field executions, abductions and arbitrary detention, and the looting of property constituted serious violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Some of these acts could amount to war crimes, depending on the nature of each incident, the circumstances in which it was committed, and the evidence established in relation to it.
The statement held the Houthi militias responsible for these violations and called on the international community, the United Nations, the Human Rights Council, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to take urgent action to stop attacks against civilians, protect displaced people, camps, evacuation convoys, and medical facilities, release those who have been abducted and arbitrarily detained, and establish the fate of missing persons.
The Houthi militias had previously launched a military assault on several coastal districts, including Al-Mokha and Bab el-Mandeb, following fierce clashes with Yemeni forces, bringing the situation back to square one, according to observers.
