Gold Traders in Hudaidah Report Houthi Extortion, Forced Levies, and Jewelry Seizures

Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:

Gold and jewelry traders in the city of Hudaidah (western Yemen) expressed outrage over what they describe as systematic extortion carried out by an individual named Khalil Al-Joufi, who they say is impersonating the director of the Yemen Standards and Metrology Authority’s branch in the governorate. According to the traders, Al-Joufi launched a campaign during which he imposed hefty financial levies on shop owners and seized quantities of gold under the pretext of “taking samples for testing.”

Traders reported that Al-Joufi also shut down several gold shops on the grounds that they lacked proper licenses—a move they view as part of the administrative chaos and lawlessness prevalent in areas under Houthi control in Hudaidah.

For his part, Hudaidah’s Director General of Media, Ali Hameed Al-Ahdal, said these violations “reflect the scale of abuse being committed against traders and investors in the governorate,” adding that “the local authority is closely monitoring incoming reports and urges affected individuals to document the abuses and submit them to the relevant human rights bodies.”

Al-Ahdal added that the continuation of such practices only deepens the suffering of citizens and exposes the extent of disorder governing institutions in Houthi-controlled areas.