Geneva – August 8, 2026

SAM for Rights and Liberties said that the attacks carried out by the Houthi group on August 6 and 7, 2026, targeting residential neighborhoods and camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Marib governorate, as well as civilian areas in Najran, Saudi Arabia, constitute a dangerous escalation that places civilian lives at risk and raises serious concerns about the group’s compliance with international humanitarian law, which prohibits attacks against civilians and civilian objects, as well as indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks.

According to preliminary information released by Minister of Public Health and Population Dr. Qasim Buhaibeh, shelling that struck residential areas and displacement camps in Marib city on August 7 killed two civilians and wounded 14 others to varying degrees. The Executive Unit for the Management of IDP Camps in Marib governorate also reported that the attacks affected displacement camps in the areas of Jaw Al-Naseem and Al-Meel. Among the casualties were displaced persons, including women, children, and older people. Response teams have begun documenting the damage and assessing humanitarian needs.

The previous day, August 6, Saudi authorities reported that 11 civilians were injured in the Najran area as a result of projectiles launched by the Houthi group. According to Saudi authorities, those injured included Saudi nationals, as well as one Yemeni, two Egyptians, and one Pakistani national. SAM considers the simultaneous targeting of civilians inside Yemen and across the border to reflect the expanding scope of military operations and to compound the risks faced by civilian populations.

SAM said that the deaths and injuries in residential neighborhoods and displacement camps, alongside the injuries to civilians in Najran, require independent and effective investigations into each incident. Such investigations should examine the nature of the areas targeted, the weapons used, their accuracy, and the precautions taken by those carrying out the attacks to avoid harming civilians.

The organization emphasized that displacement camps, residential areas, and civilian objects are protected under international humanitarian law and must not be made the object of attack. Internally displaced persons are likewise entitled to the protection afforded to civilians, and attacks on their camps are particularly grave given the vulnerability of their residents and the presence of large numbers of women, children, older people, and families who have previously fled conflict-affected areas in search of safety.

SAM said the latest attacks come amid a rapidly escalating military situation that threatens to bring an end to the relative calm that has prevailed since the UN-brokered truce ended in October 2022. The organization considers the Houthi group’s announcement that the de-escalation period has ended, coupled with an expansion of attacks against government forces and Saudi Arabia and the targeting of civilian areas, to be a dangerous shift that could return Yemen to a new round of widespread hostilities, posing direct risks to civilians, the peace process, and the humanitarian situation.

SAM considers the Houthi group primarily responsible for driving this latest escalation through the expansion of its military operations and its declaration that the de-escalation period has ended. At the same time, the organization stresses that each party remains independently responsible for its own conduct during hostilities and that any retaliatory military actions must likewise comply with international humanitarian law and protect the civilian population.

The organization warned that the continuation of this trajectory could expand the geographical scope of fighting inside Yemen, increase cross-border confrontations, reactivate ground fronts, undermine political efforts, and further link the Yemeni conflict to broader regional tensions and Red Sea security concerns.

On the humanitarian front, a return to large-scale fighting would increase the risks of death, injury, and displacement, while exposing homes, health and educational facilities, and water and electricity networks to further damage. It could also obstruct the delivery of humanitarian assistance. The expansion of military operations to roads, ports, and maritime routes could drive up the prices of food, medicine, and fuel, further exacerbating an already severe humanitarian and economic crisis.

SAM stressed that international humanitarian law requires all parties to the conflict to respect the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution, and prohibits attacks against civilians and civilian objects, as well as indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks. Article 13 of Additional Protocol II to the Geneva Conventions also prohibits making civilians the object of attack or using violence with the primary purpose of spreading terror among the civilian population.

The organization further noted that internally displaced persons are entitled to the protection afforded to civilians under international humanitarian law and the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. Intentionally targeting civilians or carrying out indiscriminate attacks may, depending on the circumstances of each incident, amount to a war crime requiring investigation and accountability.

SAM called on the Houthi group to immediately halt all attacks targeting civilians and civilian objects, both inside Yemen and across the border, to fully comply with the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution, and to take all necessary measures to prevent the recurrence of attacks resulting in civilian casualties.

SAM also called on all parties to the conflict to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law, emphasizing that violations by one party do not justify violations by another, and that the protection of civilians is a non-derogable legal obligation that cannot be set aside on grounds of retaliation or military necessity.

SAM said that the expansion of attacks to include displacement camps and residential areas inside Yemen, as well as civilians across the border, is a deeply concerning indication of the toll that the current escalation could exact on the civilian population if the cycle of violence continues. Civilians, it stressed, must not once again bear the cost of a return to war.