Yemeni Teachers Union Reports Widespread Houthi Abuses Against Educators

The Yemeni Teachers Union has revealed grave abuses by Houthi forces affecting over 200,000 educators in militia-controlled areas since the coup began. The union is calling for urgent international intervention to protect educational personnel and halt transgressions against educational institutions.

In a documented union statement, the organization expressed profound concern over the severe deterioration of conditions for teachers in Houthi-controlled territories. The union emphasized that these violations have escalated beyond professional matters to systematic practices infringing upon human dignity and undermining the core of the educational process.

The statement detailed how educational institutions are being transformed from safe learning environments into spaces subject to surveillance and persecution. Fundamental rights are being violated, and principles of merit are being replaced by repression and coercion, posing a significant threat to the structure of the nation's educational system.

The union highlighted several documented violations, including the deprivation of salaries for over 170,000 teachers since 2016. Hundreds of teachers have been abducted, with some still subjected to enforced disappearance, including educators from Hajjah and Amran governorates who were recently detained for demanding their basic rights.

Furthermore, over 20,000 teachers have faced arbitrary dismissal or professional exclusion, often replaced by unqualified individuals based on unprofessional criteria. More than 15,000 teachers and their families have been forced to displace due to threats and persecution, enduring difficult humanitarian conditions. The union has also documented 39 cases of torture within detention facilities, among 1,629 diverse violations that included physical assaults, threats, and home intrusions.

In a related context, the union mourned the death of teacher Ayoub Saleh Yahya, who died from a landmine explosion in Al Dhale'e governorate, citing this incident as an example of the daily dangers faced by educational staff. The union strongly condemns all these violations and demands the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees, holding the Houthi militia fully responsible for their safety.

The union stressed that the payment of salaries to over 170,000 teachers is a legal and constitutional right that should not be politicized or subject to negotiation. It urged the United Nations, through its Special Envoy to Yemen, to assume its legal and humanitarian responsibilities, adopt clear stances on these violations, and work towards protecting educational personnel and halting encroachments on educational institutions.

The union also appealed to the Presidential Leadership Council, headed by Rashad Al-Alimi, to intensify efforts in pressuring the international community and the UN Security Council, in coordination with the Arab Coalition led by Saudi Arabia, to compel the Houthi militia to disburse salaries and cease abuses against teachers. The statement concluded by calling on human rights organizations and media outlets to shed light on the suffering of teachers in Houthi-controlled areas, affirming that the information presented is based on documented field data and reports from relevant authorities.