Houthi Exploitation of Zakat Funds in Ibb Creates Vast Disparity Between Collection and Aid

Militia authorities in Yemen's Ibb Governorate are collecting billions of riyals under the guise of Zakat (alms), yet public reports indicate a substantial discrepancy between collected revenues and the meager aid distributed, which is primarily utilized for propaganda purposes.

Citizens in Ibb have reported to Khobar News Agency that the amounts actually disbursed rarely exceed ten thousand Yemeni riyals, failing to reflect the actual volume of funds accumulated throughout the year. Furthermore, hundreds of eligible recipients are repeatedly omitted from the official distribution lists, effectively depriving impoverished and needy families of their entitlements and raising serious questions about transparency.

One resident, upon checking his status at the post office, confirmed his name was absent from the list of Zakat beneficiaries, noting that only a negligible sum was distributed to a single individual among a group of men and women awaiting aid. A responsible employee at the Ibb Post Office corroborated this, stating that such exclusions are not isolated incidents but represent one of hundreds of cases dropped from the beneficiary rolls across the governorate.

The citizen asserted that his case is merely one of hundreds ignored, adding, “What is announced through the media represents only a tiny fraction of the Zakat crumbs, while some continue to promote these actions as if they were massive achievements.”

In a related context, activist Fadl Abdulkareem Al-Muayyad exposed the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the Jabal district via a social media post. He confirmed that many individuals with disabilities and impoverished families receive no assistance whatsoever, suffering from a lack of basic necessities, including food and medical care.

Al-Muayyad noted that many of these vulnerable groups are not registered with Zakat committees or relevant authorities, consequently receiving no discernible support throughout the year. He cited instances where critically ill patients are forced to leave hospitals due to inability to cover treatment costs, while other families endure severe living conditions without any recognized relief intervention.

This prevailing reality underscores the transformation of Zakat, which is legally mandated for the poor and needy, into a tool for media promotion under Houthi control, occurring at the direct expense of justice and the rights of legitimate beneficiaries.