Houthi Militia Imposes Extortionate Fees on Travelers' Personal Goods and Medicine at Al-Bayda Crossing

The Houthi militia has imposed exorbitant customs duties, taxes, and illegal levies at the newly established "Afar" crossing in Al-Bayda Governorate, recently targeting personal belongings and essential medicines carried by travelers for relatives suffering from chronic illnesses—a dangerous precedent lacking any legal justification.

A circulating video clip documented stringent Houthi procedures involving meticulous inspection and inventory of medicines and possessions carried by travelers and expatriates before imposing financial fees for passage. Even patients who traveled in person, accompanied by their medical reports, found their health conditions afforded no leniency by the crossing officials.

Travelers reported being detained for hours while militia employees completed the counting of items in their pockets and bags, subsequently forcing them to pay substantial sums under various pretexts, including "tax," "customs," "fees," "improvement," and "authority rights." They confirmed that the militia confiscates belongings, gifts, and medicines if payment of these extortions is refused or impossible.

In a tragic scene documented visually, one patient was compelled to travel personally to the crossing to meet a traveler carrying his overdue medication. However, Houthi customs officials prevented him from taking his therapeutic dose until they had finished counting the medicines "strip by strip" and collecting the imposed levies.

It is noted that the Houthi militia established dozens of customs checkpoints years ago on roads linking areas under its control with liberated territories. However, they have recently escalated their violations by imposing levies on simple personal effects and life-saving medicines, thereby compounding the suffering of civilians.