Yemen Monitor/Newsroom:
Dozens of wounded soldiers from the National Army in Taiz governorate staged a protest vigil this morning in front of the Social Welfare Department office on Jamal Street. They demanded the disbursement of their overdue financial and medical benefits and an end to what they described as the “continuous neglect and marginalization” by official authorities.
The protesters raised banners condemning the disregard for their suffering, emphasizing that their demands are legitimate and guaranteed by law. They stated they are “not asking for charity or favors, but for their rights, mandated by national duty and human conscience.”
In a statement, the Taiz Association for the Wounded said the injured are demanding the payment of salaries overdue for five months, the activation of the decision to establish the National Authority for the Affairs of the Wounded and Martyrs, the disbursement of delayed bonuses and entitlements, the medical evacuation of critical cases for treatment abroad, and the approval of financial enhancements related to promotions and salary adjustments, in line with other military formations.
During the vigil, in a painful scene that sparked sympathy among attendees and anger in the local community, one of the wounded set his prosthetic foot on fire to express his fury at the ongoing government neglect.
One participating wounded soldier said: “We sacrificed our limbs for the sake of the nation, and today we are left to face the pain alone. All we ask for is fairness, nothing more.”
The statement added that ignoring the file of the wounded has become a “moral stain” on the face of state institutions, calling on the Presidential Leadership Council and the government to intervene urgently to address their situation and improve their living and health conditions.
This comes as dozens of wounded soldiers from the Yemeni Army and Popular Resistance continue their open-ended sit-in for the third consecutive day in front of the gate of the Social Welfare Department affiliated with the Ministry of Defense in the city of Marib. They are demanding the payment of their overdue salaries, an improvement in their living conditions, and the completion of treatment for critical cases that threaten the lives of hundreds among them.
The protesting wounded emphasized that their action comes after prolonged disregard from the concerned authorities. They demanded the “handover of overdue salaries and bonuses, treatment for complex medical cases, alignment of their salaries with other military formations, and the construction of housing units specifically for the wounded.”
Several of them stated in press remarks that hundreds of the wounded face the risk of death due to the suspension of treatment inside the country and the failure to evacuate critical cases abroad, noting that their demands are “purely humanitarian and not political.”
