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Human Rights Briefing No. (1)

Escalation of Houthi Attacks on Civilians in Taiz and Al-Hudaydah

Period Covered: September 3–4, 2026, with updates through the morning of September 5, 2026

Geographic Scope: Maqbanah, Jabal Habashi, Al-Wazi'iyah, and Al-Mukha districts in Taiz Governorate, and adjacent areas along the West Coast

Nature of Document: Preliminary briefing based on open sources, official statements, and available media reports

Field Context

During September 3 and 4, 2026, western Taiz and the West Coast witnessed a broad military escalation whose impacts extended to villages, displacement camps, and civilian facilities, resulting in casualties and the displacement of hundreds of families, including previously displaced households.

Preliminary figures indicate the displacement of approximately 1200 families from Maqbanah and Jabal Habashi, alongside damage sustained by civilian sites—including a restaurant at the Al-Mukha junction and a school in Al-Wazi'iyah—amid ongoing efforts to verify certain incidents and figures.

Amidst the escalation, the Commander of the Taiz Military Axis issued directives to his forces to adhere to international humanitarian law and protect civilians and civilian property—a positive step whose ultimate value remains contingent upon its translation into operational orders, oversight mechanisms, and accountability frameworks.

This briefing aims to document the humanitarian impact of the hostilities, distinguish established facts from initial allegations, and evaluate legal and humanitarian risks, while emphasizing that the protection of civilians constitutes a binding obligation on all parties to the conflict.

On September 3, 2026, the Commander of the Taiz Military Axis, Major General Khaled Qasim Fadel, issued directives to his forces emphasizing the protection of civilians, distinguishing between military objectives and civilian objects, avoiding the targeting of educational facilities, medical centers, and places of worship, adhering to the principles of necessity, distinction, proportionality, and precaution, and safeguarding civilian residences and property.

Reported Incidents and Violations

September 5, 2026

During September 4 and 5, 2026, the SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties monitored a series of attacks directed at civilians and inhabited or populated areas across Taiz and Al-Hudaydah governorates. These attacks included ballistic missile strikes, artillery shelling, and sniper fire. Available information indicates deaths and injuries, including among women and children, in incidents attributed to the Houthi group.

• Hayjat Al-Abed Road – Taiz:

On September 5, the Yemeni news agency Saba, citing local and medical sources, reported that four civilians were killed and nine others injured when a ballistic missile struck a gathering of civilians on the Hayjat Al-Abed road, south of Taiz Governorate. The agency attributed the attack to the Houthi group, noting that material damage occurred at the targeted site.

• Al-Kadhah and Al-Rahbah – Western Taiz:

On the same day, Saba agency reported, citing local sources, that four civilians—including three children and a woman—were wounded by sniper fire attributed to the Houthi group in the Al-Kadhah and Al-Rahbah areas of western Taiz.

According to the source, the child Mahfouth Mahfouth Salem Abdul-Razzaq (7 years old) sustained a gunshot wound that penetrated his back; his brother Nunan Mahfouth Salem Abdul-Razzaq (13 years old) was struck in his left palm; Safaa Mahfouth Salem Abdul-Razzaq (30 years old) was shot in the neck; and the child Turki Hazza Ahmed Hizam (8 years old) suffered shrapnel injuries to his jaw.

• Al-Mukha Junction – Western Taiz:

On September 4, Saba agency reported that a restaurant frequented by civilians in the Al-Mukha junction area, west of Taiz Governorate, was targeted by a ballistic missile, attributing the strike to the Houthi group. According to the agency, the attack caused civilian casualties and material damage to the restaurant and adjacent properties, while emergency response teams initiated medical treatment for the wounded and an assessment of the damage.

• Villages of Hays District – Al-Hudaydah:

In Al-Hudaydah Governorate, Hussam Bakri, Director of the Information Office in Hays District, reported deaths and injuries among civilians in the district's rural areas—predominantly children—resulting from artillery shelling he attributed to the Houthi group. He stated that the shelling struck populated villages following military developments at the Saqam junction and south of Al-Jarrahi district. SAM continues to work on independently verifying the casualty toll and the precise circumstances of the attack.

This incident follows prior shelling incidents in the region; reports cited Bakri in late August indicating that the villages of Al-Haraz, Al-Marajeem, Masha'ah, and Al-Bugheil north of Hays were subjected to shelling with over 20 mortar rounds, resulting in property damage and the displacement of several families.

• Targeting of Karim School in Al-Wazi'iyah:

Local and media sources reported that a missile attributed to the Houthi group struck Karim School in the Al-Suwayda area of Al-Wazi'iyah district while students were present, causing structural damage to the facility without reported casualties according to initial findings. This incident warrants full verification regarding the point of impact, the civilian nature and use of the school, and the presence of any nearby military objectives, given the direct threat it poses to children and the right to education.

• Shelling of Villages and Residential Areas:

Local accounts and testimonies reported shelling impacting villages and populated areas in Al-Kadhah, Maqbanah, Jabal Habashi, Al-Wazi'iyah, and Mawza'a. Concurrently, the Yemeni Ministry of Human Rights accused the Houthi group of shelling villages, displacement camps, civilian objects, and educational institutions. Ongoing shelling and clashes have compelled families to evacuate their homes hurriedly; these incidents remain subject to independent field verification.

Renewed Displacement

The Executive Unit for IDP Camps Management recorded the displacement of 1200 families from Maqbanah and Jabal Habashi to safer areas within Taiz, whereas a previous count had registered the displacement of 387 families from the Al-Kadhah camps. The most recent figure is likely broader in scope, necessitating a cross-check of registries to prevent duplication.

The gravity of this displacement is heightened by the fact that many affected individuals are previously displaced persons forced to flee once again, compounding the loss of shelter, income, and essential services. Urgent humanitarian needs include emergency shelter, food, clean water, medical care, safe transport, and protection, alongside ensuring that shelter sites remain situated far from military objectives.

Preliminary Legal Assessment

• International Humanitarian Law (IHL) obligates all parties to distinguish at all times between civilians and combatants, and between civilian objects and military objectives, strictly prohibiting indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks. The deployment of wide-area weapons near restaurants, schools, and populated zones raises serious concerns regarding compliance with the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precautions in attack. Should deliberate targeting of civilians be established, certain incidents may amount to grave breaches or war crimes.
• All parties must avoid stationing forces or military installations near schools, displacement camps, and civilian population concentrations. While not all displacement resulting from hostilities automatically qualifies as unlawful forced displacement, unlawful bombardment conducted to force or resulting in the driving out of civilian populations may constitute arbitrary displacement or prohibited forced transfer.
• Directives issued by the command of the Taiz Military Axis concerning civilian protection represent a commendable measure; however, their practical effectiveness depends on integrating them into operational orders and binding rules of engagement, monitoring compliance, and investigating alleged violations.

Conclusions

• Initial documentation demonstrates that the effects of the military escalation have spilled over into the civilian domain, causing civilian casualties, structural damage to civilian infrastructure, and triggering a broad wave of secondary displacement.
• The Houthi group bears prima facie responsibility for the incidents attributed to it, particularly the strikes on the Al-Mukha junction restaurant, the school, and residential zones, subject to substantiation through technical and field evidence. Concurrently, government forces and associated formations remain bound by the identical frameworks of international law.

 

Recommendations

• To the Houthi Group: Cease all attacks directed against civilians and civilian infrastructure; refrain from deploying wide-area effect munitions within populated zones; and initiate investigations into reported violations while holding those responsible accountable.
• To the Command of the Taiz Military Axis and Government Forces: Put civilian protection directives into practical operational practice; integrate them systematically into military planning and rules of engagement; relocate military positions away from schools, camps, and residential areas; and investigate any reported violations.
• To Humanitarian Authorities and Organizations: Consolidate and cross-verify IDP tracking data; expedite the delivery of emergency shelter, food, potable water, medical aid, and protection services; and prioritize interventions for vulnerable groups.
• To the United Nations, International Entities, and Human Rights Bodies: Support independent investigative mechanisms; ensure unhindered humanitarian access; and document each incident systematically—recording casualties, precise coordinates, timelines, physical evidence, and witness testimony—while maintaining a clear distinction between factual verification and final legal characterization.