Human Rights Report Documents 163 Violations Against Humanitarian Workers by the Houthis
Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
A recent human rights report has documented 163 cases of abduction, arbitrary detention, and enforced disappearance committed by the Houthi group since 2014, targeting employees of the United Nations, international and local organizations, as well as embassies and diplomatic missions.
The report, issued by the “Yemeni Women Empowerment Foundation” (YWEF), pointed out that the victims were not parties to the conflict, but rather employees performing humanitarian and diplomatic duties. Among them are workers in UN agencies, relief organizations, civil society organizations, and current and former employees of foreign missions and embassies, alongside journalists and foreigners who were detained due to the nature of their work.
The report emphasized that these abductions are part of a systematic policy practiced by the group with the aim of intimidating the international community, blackmailing humanitarian organizations, and silencing independent voices operating outside its system.
In its report, the foundation reviewed the consequences of targeting humanitarian workers, explaining that it has caused severe harm to civilians before institutions. It has contributed to undermining relief programs, disrupting humanitarian operations, and reducing the presence of several international organizations, at a time when millions of Yemenis rely on life-saving aid.
The foundation called on those interested in human rights to take urgent action to release all arbitrary detainees, reveal the fate of the forcibly disappeared, and ensure that those responsible for these violations do not escape accountability, stressing that protecting humanitarian work begins with holding those who target its workers accountable.
