Yemeni Rights Network Reports Widespread Houthi Abuses on West Coast

The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms has documented a series of raids, arbitrary arrests, and looting of civilian property in various areas and villages along the West Coast, carried out by the Houthi group in a new field escalation.

According to a report issued by the network, the campaign targeted citizens' homes in the districts of Hays, Khawkhah, and Mokha, as well as the areas of Al-Zuhari, Al-Haima, and Yakhtal, and villages within the geographical scope extending between Al-Haima and Mokha. These operations included home invasions and the detention of family members, particularly the families of fighters, in an attempt to pressure them and compel them to return and surrender their weapons.

The network has documented testimonies from eyewitnesses indicating that armed elements looted private property, including gold jewelry and valuable possessions, amidst widespread panic and fear among residents, especially families unable to evacuate those areas. Field data confirms the continuation of search and arrest operations, leading to a sharp deterioration in the humanitarian and psychological conditions of the remaining civilians.

The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms considers these practices, which include arbitrary detention and holding families hostage to pressure their relatives, to be grave violations of human rights. The network calls for an immediate cessation of these abuses, demanding the unconditional release of all detainees and ensuring the protection of civilians and their property in accordance with the principles of international humanitarian law and international human rights law.