The Yemeni government recognized by the international community has denounced this Sunday that, in the last ten days, at least 150 civilians have lost their lives and a minimum of 200 have been injured due to attacks attributed to the Houthi rebel militias in the context of their advance towards the strategic Bab el Mandeb strait.
"The Ministry of Human Rights strongly condemns the military escalation and the widespread violations committed by the Houthi terrorist militias since September 3," the department stated in a statement, in which it mentions attacks "in various areas of the governorates of Taiz, Hodeida, and Marib, as well as bombings with ballistic missiles, drones, and various types of weaponry, and attacks against populated areas, displaced persons camps, and convoys of civilians displaced from combat zones."
Based on a preliminary assessment, the Ministry has specified that these actions have resulted in "the death of 150 civilians and injuries to more than 200," adding that "around 85,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, suffering the destruction of property and the deprivation of their homes, livelihoods, and basic needs."
The official note describes episodes such as "direct bombings against civilians fleeing" from the conflict areas in the Hodeida governorate, which reached "civilians even when they were heading from conflict zones to safer areas," causing "dozens of deaths and injuries." It also reports "repeated bombings with ballistic missiles and drones" against displaced persons camps and residential neighborhoods in Marib, "which resulted in the death or injury of dozens of children and exposed thousands of displaced families to direct risks and a new wave of violence and displacement."
At the same time, the government based in Aden has denounced "assaults and looting of international organizations' offices, homes, and government institutions, as well as the kidnapping of a journalist in the city of Moca, in addition to the kidnapping of employees, public officials, and judicial workers."
The Ministry has emphasized that these events "constitute serious violations of International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law" and has warned that "some of these acts could constitute war crimes."
In this scenario, "the Ministry of Human Rights holds the Houthi terrorist militias responsible for these violations and urges the international community, the United Nations, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Human Rights Council to take urgent measures to stop attacks against civilians, ensure the protection of the displaced, the camps, the evacuation convoys, and medical facilities, release those kidnapped and arbitrarily detained, and clarify the situation of those who remain detained," according to the statement.
In parallel, it has demanded "support for follow-up, documentation, investigation, and preservation of evidence efforts, in coordination with the relevant national authorities," in order to "ensure the protection of victims and witnesses, hold those responsible for violations accountable, and provide reparations to the affected, in addition to strengthening the humanitarian response." "The continuous attacks against the civilian population must not go unpunished," concludes the note.
The statement coincides with the update of data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which has estimated that more than 82,000 people have been displaced – 56,000 of them from the province of Taiz – due to the recent Houthi offensive in the area of the strategic Bab el Mandeb strait, which has forced more than 2,000 people to flee by sea to Djibouti.
The Houthis launched an offensive on September 3 in areas of the provinces of Taiz and Hodeida and, since then, have made significant territorial gains, including the capture of the city of Mocha and other enclaves on the Red Sea coast, which represents a severe setback for the internationally recognized authorities.
These advances reinforce the rebels' ability to influence maritime traffic in Bab el Mandeb – something they have already promised not to do – a step whose relevance has increased following disruptions in transit through the Strait of Hormuz resulting from the offensive launched on February 28 by the United States and Israel against Iran.