Geneva - SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties stated that the Houthi group targeted a popular market adjacent to Um Al-Qura School in Al-Boumiya area of the Maqbana district in western Taiz on Sunday, December 1, using a drone, resulting in the death of 6 civilians and injuring 8 others, some of whom are in critical condition. This incident highlights the ongoing violations committed by the group against civilians, necessitating serious action from the international community, including the establishment of effective mechanisms to monitor and document violations and hold the involved parties accountable.

SAM reviewed a video circulating on social media platforms, where eyewitnesses confirmed that a drone came from areas controlled by the Houthis and dropped a bomb on the densely populated location, denying any presence of military points in the targeted area.

The organization listed the names of the victims of the Houthi shelling as follows: 1- Abdulmalik Mufadl Alaya, 2- Abdullah Abdu Ahmed Quraib, 3- Abdullah Ali Mohammed Ahmed, 4- Hayman Abdulrahim Mohammed Qaid, 5- Hassan Saeed Ali Hassan, 6- Zaki Ahmed Abdu Youssef. The injured include: 1- Ahmed bin Ahmed Youssef, 2- Anis Abdul Ghani Mohammed Qaid, 3- Abdullah Ahmed Ali Qaid Salem, 4- Youssef Mohammed Ali Muhammad, 5- Abdu Hamid Ali Salem, 6- Qaid Hassan Ali Mohammed, 7- Mansour Saeed Qaid Ali, 8- Iyad Abdul Malik Saeed Qaid.

The organization emphasized that such violations are not isolated incidents but part of a continuous pattern of attacks carried out by the Houthis, leading to more civilian casualties, including children and women. It noted that the Houthi group previously targeted a school in the Al-Hanaya area west of Taiz city on October 23, resulting in injuries among students according to activist reports. On September 12, child Mohammed Hussein Mohammed Bajjash (10 years old) and girl Abrar Mohammed bin Mohammed Bajjash (7 years old) were injured due to mortar shelling by Houthis on the village of "Hadhia" located in the rural area of Maqbana district in western Taiz, according to government media.

SAM Organization strongly condemned this crime, urging the Houthi group to cease its brutal behavior and indiscriminate attacks that lead to the killing and injury of innocents. It stressed that the continuation of these violations constitutes a blatant violation of international laws, including the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit targeting civilians.

The organization called on the international community to establish effective mechanisms for monitoring and documenting violations and to take serious action to hold perpetrators of these crimes accountable. It also urged pressure on the Houthis to stop these brutal operations, warning that ongoing escalation in conflict only exacerbates humanitarian conditions and increases the suffering of Yemenis who are already facing multiple crises.