Houthis and Al-Qaeda: A Grim Record of Violating Yemenis’ Rights

12th December 2024

2 minutes read

Houthis and Al-Qaeda: A Grim Record of Violating Yemenis’ Rights

While the world celebrates Human Rights Day on December 10 each year, Yemenis face a bitter reality as the Houthis and Al-Qaeda continue to commit horrific crimes against innocent civilians, turning their lives into an “unbearable hell.”

These organizations, listed as global terrorist entities, committed 2,368 violations in Yemen during 2024, according to a recent report by Rights Radar for Human Rights, based in The Hague, Netherlands. The report was released in conjunction with Human Rights Day.

The report highlights recurring violations such as shelling with artillery and rockets, as well as the use of mines and explosives. It criticizes the role of international organizations, particularly the office of the United Nations Special Envoy to Yemen, for being limited to monitoring and condemnation.

Between January and November 2024, violations were documented across 20 Yemeni governorates, including acts such as arrests, enforced disappearances, torture, killings, injuries, child recruitment, personal assaults, and attacks on public and private property.

The report documented 914 cases of arrest, 171 cases of enforced disappearance, and 477 cases of attacks on public and private property. These violations resulted in 349 deaths.

It also recorded 124 cases of child recruitment, 85 personal assaults, and 23 cases of torture and ill-treatment.

Houthis at the Forefront

The report confirms that Houthi militias topped the list of perpetrators with 2,041 violations, while other parties were responsible for 327 infractions.

Houthi violations included: 160 enforced disappearances, 73 personal assaults, 863 arbitrary arrests, 123 cases of child recruitment, 18 cases of torture, and 225 killings.

They also committed 181 cases of injuries and 398 attacks on property, 88 of which involved public property.

Al-Qaeda was responsible for 31 violations, including 10 killings and 21 injuries. Other extremist groups committed 4 violations, including 2 kidnappings, one enforced disappearance, and 2 killings.

Ibb Governorate Leads Geographically

Geographically, the Houthi-controlled governorate of Ibb recorded the highest number of violations, with 419 cases, followed by the capital Sanaa, with 327 cases.

The Houthis also committed 246 violations in Dhamar, 236 in Al-Bayda, and 200 in Amran.

Taiz ranked sixth with 146 violations, followed by Hodeida with 144, and Al-Jawf with 91 cases.

The report stressed the need for increased pressure on Houthi militias to curb their abuses against civilians, whether through targeting residential areas or planting mines that continue to claim civilian lives.

Finally, the report called on the United Nations, represented by its envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, to adopt a more effective role towards the parties involved in the conflict, particularly the Houthis, the primary violators, to ensure the protection of rights and freedoms in the areas under their control.