Geneva – SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties reported that the Houthi group targeted, on the morning of Monday, December 23, 2024, the home of citizen Bakr Qaed Mahyoub in the village of Bumiya, Maqbanah District, Taiz Governorate, with a mortar shell. The attack resulted in the death of a boy and a girl and the injury of two others. The organization highlighted that the targeting of civilians reflects the policy of impunity adopted by the group, emphasizing the urgent need for the international community to take serious steps to hold the perpetrators of these violations accountable and bring them to justice, ensuring the prevention of such acts in the future.
The organization, citing media sources in Maqbanah District, stated that the crime led to the death of six-year-old Dheeb Bakr Qaed and five-year-old Shaima Bakr Qaed, who succumbed to severe injuries caused by shrapnel from the shell as she was being rushed for medical assistance. Two others were injured: their nine-year-old sister Maryal Bakr Qaed and their seven-year-old cousin Abdelwahid Ali Qaed Mahyoub. The children were playing near the house when the attack occurred.
SAM stressed that the targeting of civilians, especially children, constitutes a war crime under international law, which prohibits attacks on civilians during armed conflicts. The Fourth Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilians in Time of War explicitly states that "persons who are not taking a direct part in hostilities shall be protected from attacks." The 1977 Additional Protocol I further asserts the need to "protect civilian populations from attacks and prohibit their direct targeting." It also emphasizes the distinction between military and civilian targets, deeming any attack on civilians a war crime. Furthermore, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court categorizes the deliberate targeting of civilians as a war crime, holding accountable those who "intentionally direct attacks against civilian populations or individuals not involved in hostilities."
SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties noted that the Houthi group’s targeting of civilians in areas under its control is not an isolated incident but part of a continuous pattern of egregious violations, including sniper attacks and indiscriminate shelling. This deliberate approach reflects a blatant disregard for human rights and underscores the urgent need to hold perpetrators accountable.
SAM called on the international community to take immediate action to hold the perpetrators of these crimes accountable and to ensure the protection of civilians in conflict zones. The organization also urged human rights bodies and organizations to work together to guarantee that those responsible do not escape justice and to provide necessary support to victims and their families. SAM warned that ignoring such violations would only exacerbate the humanitarian crisis and increase the suffering of innocent civilians.