Yemeni Rights Group Documents 109 Houthi Violations in Taiz Over 48 Hours, 8 Civilians Killed

The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms has documented 109 crimes and violations committed by the Houthi militia in Taiz Governorate within the past 48 hours, resulting in the deaths of 8 civilians and injuries to 26 others. Concurrently, 147 projectiles were launched indiscriminately, and two ballistic missiles targeted the Suna neighborhood in the city center.

In a human rights report, the network stated that the deceased included three women and three children, while the injured comprised seven women and four children. Additionally, 24 citizens were abducted, 23 homes were raided, and 17 houses and 11 vehicles sustained damage due to the shelling.

The network detailed that the violations ranged from killings and injuries from shelling and sniping, to abduction and forced disappearance, home raids, targeting residential areas with ballistic missiles, and assaults on ambulances and medical teams. The report also noted the storming of Quran memorization centers and places of worship, road blockades, and the continued siege on the governorate.

The report highlighted that the Houthi militia targeted an ambulance with an artillery shell in the Sabr area, killing its driver and injuring the accompanying doctor, while destroying the vehicle. Furthermore, the Al-Umm Al-Mu'minin Khadija Center for Quran Memorization at Al-Nur Mosque in Muza' district was stormed and converted into a rest stop. Several mosques in the coastal districts of Taiz were reportedly transformed into venues for consuming qat.

The network added that the violations included the detonation of a culvert on the Hajjah Al-Abd road and the blockage of the main road connecting Taiz and Lahj governorates to the interim capital, Aden. It was noted that mortar shells, Katyusha rockets, artillery shells, and drones were used in the shelling, targeting residential areas in Taiz city and its rural surroundings.

The network urged the United Nations and the international community to condemn these violations and take urgent measures to halt the aggressions, protect civilians, lift the siege on Taiz, open the roads, and ensure safe and regular access for food, water, fuel, medicine, and humanitarian aid.

It also called for Taiz to be declared a disaster-stricken city and for the scope of the humanitarian response to be expanded in proportion to the needs and damages resulting from the military escalation and ongoing violations.