Monitoring Desk
Yemeni civil society organizations have warned that continued escalation and alleged grave violations by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia are worsening Yemen’s humanitarian crisis, with children, women and other vulnerable groups bearing the brunt.
In a joint statement carried by the Yemen News Agency (Saba), the organizations alleged that violations include killings, abductions, arbitrary detention, forced displacement, destruction of homes, road blockades, attacks on civilian vehicles, sniping and shelling of residential areas and villages.
They also accused the militia of attacking hospitals, health facilities, schools and other civilian infrastructure, saying the alleged violations have affected different sections of Yemeni society.
The organizations expressed particular concern over the recruitment and use of children in hostilities. They said children had been forcibly recruited, deployed to battlefields and deprived of basic rights, adding that recruiting or using children in hostilities can constitute a war crime when the legal elements of the offence are met.
According to the statement, numerous cases involving children allegedly recruited and sent to combat zones have been documented following the militia’s recent attack on the coast and subsequent escalation of military operations. Some of the children were reportedly captured on fronts including Taiz, the West Coast, Marib and Al-Jawf.
The organizations said they were working with Yemeni government bodies to monitor and document alleged violations and with Yemeni, regional and international organizations to secure care and protection for affected children.
Citing local authorities and the Executive Unit for IDP Camp Management, the statement said a ballistic missile allegedly struck a gathering and shelter for displaced people in Raghwan district of Marib Governorate on September 7.
Preliminary figures cited in the statement put the toll at two children, aged five and seven, killed and 15 civilians injured, including eight children. The attack also allegedly damaged 16 homes and three civilian vehicles.
The organizations further cited reports of shelling of populated villages in Taiz Governorate with medium and heavy weapons, as well as a ballistic missile attack on the 2 December Hospital in Al-Mokha on September 7.
They said civilian and medical facilities are protected under international humanitarian law and called for greater monitoring and accountability for alleged violations.
The statement also cited the Executive Unit for IDP Camp Management as reporting that, as of September 5, a total of 2,183 families, comprising 8,896 people, had been displaced from Taiz and Al-Hudaydah governorates. Of these, 450 families were from Al-Hudaydah.
The displaced families urgently require shelter, food, clean water, healthcare and protection, according to the organizations.
The civil society groups called on the United Nations, international humanitarian organizations and other relevant bodies to strengthen protection for civilians and children, document alleged violations and support programs aimed at demobilizing, rehabilitating and reintegrating children affected by recruitment and armed conflict.
