Houthi Militia Extorts Street Vendors in Ibb, Destroying Goods Under Duress

Houthi militia forces in the Yarim district of Ibb Governorate have initiated widespread extortion targeting street vendors and stall owners, demanding exorbitant fees under threat of violence and property destruction.

Verified complaints circulated by activists on social media platforms indicate that the Yarim Traffic Department has begun imposing fees reaching up to 10,000 Yemeni Riyals on vendors, significantly exceeding their legal jurisdiction. Vendors confirmed that traffic officers and their vehicles intentionally damage merchandise, including crushing goods, if the demanded payments are refused, leading to substantial financial losses for some merchants whose inventory is valued near 5 million Riyals.

According to vendor testimonies, both the Public Works offices and the Traffic Department have historically permitted them to operate on sidewalks year-round in exchange for daily and monthly "tolls." However, with the onset of the month of Ramadan, these financial demands have been arbitrarily and illegally doubled.

Sources within the local authority in the district clarified that the regulation of markets and control over related revenues are the exclusive purview of the Public Works office, the Sanitation Fund, and the District Security Administration, according to law. They noted that the Traffic Department's involvement in these levies constitutes an overreach of authority.

The sources further pointed to a deliberate scheme to maintain street chaos, revealing that alternative, less congested locations were provided for the vendors. Nevertheless, influential entities benefiting from these illicit, personal collections have obstructed the relocation efforts to preserve an ongoing source of systematic plunder, diverting funds away from the public treasury.