Yemeni Rights Network Documents 2,264 Houthi Violations in Taiz Over 59 Days

A Yemeni rights network has documented 2,264 crimes and violations attributed to the Houthi militia in Taiz Governorate between September 1 and October 29, 2026, coinciding with the indiscriminate firing of approximately 12,761 projectiles over a 59-day period.

The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms, in its report titled "Taiz: Between Killing and Siege," stated that its field team recorded the deaths of 189 civilians, including 38 children (9 of whom were infants) and 27 women. Additionally, 281 civilians were injured, including 29 children and 46 women. The report also documented the assault and battery of 134 individuals, comprising 37 children, 31 women, and 16 elderly individuals.

According to the report, the governorate witnessed 23 field execution-style killings and five massacres, in addition to 324 cases of abduction and enforced disappearance, including 14 children, 3 women, and 25 elderly persons. The network also documented the raiding of 521 homes and the forced entry and search of 81 residences, with their contents disturbed.

Regarding damage to private property, the network documented damage to 356 homes, with 98 being completely destroyed, and four homes being bombed. Furthermore, 151 civilian vehicles were damaged, and 36 vehicles and means of transport belonging to citizens were looted.

The violations extended to educational, religious, and governmental facilities. The report noted the storming of 23 schools, which were reportedly converted into military barracks and command centers. Thirty-one farms were looted, four were completely destroyed, and two were partially damaged. Seven mosques and places of worship sustained damage, 21 preachers and imams were replaced, and 35 government headquarters were seized.

In the health sector, the report documented the targeting of five ambulances and the killing of seven medical personnel. Three health facilities and hospitals were targeted, leading to the closure of approximately 23 commercial centers and five health facilities. The report also indicated that several health centers were repurposed as military barracks, and over 15 ambulances were looted and used for transporting ammunition and weapons.

Concerning shelling, the network documented the firing of approximately 12,761 indiscriminate projectiles, including mortar shells, howitzer rounds, artillery shells, and Katyusha rockets, in addition to drone attacks and dozens of ballistic missiles. Most of these targeted residential neighborhoods and gatherings.

The report also recorded the establishment of 26 illegal checkpoints and barriers since the tightening of the siege on Taiz on September 3, 2026. This included the blocking of main and secondary roads and the prevention of essential supplies, medicines, petroleum derivatives, and drinking water from reaching the populace. Approximately two million people were subjected to water scarcity or forced to use contaminated sources.

The network stated that the military escalation and siege contributed to the displacement of approximately 280,000 individuals from Taiz Governorate, fleeing shelling and violations. The network warned of the continuing humanitarian and health repercussions of the crisis on the population.