Geneva / Taiz, October 27, 2026
SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties issues an urgent appeal to the international community, the United Nations, and humanitarian and relief agencies to intervene swiftly and exert pressure to halt the relentless shelling and gross violations committed by the Houthi group against civilians in the Kahlan area of Sabir Al-Mawadim District, as well as the Doba front line in Al-Aqrud, Taiz Governorate.
According to documentation by the Coordination Council of Civil Society Organizations, the Kahlan area was subjected to intense, indiscriminate bombardment lasting more than 20 consecutive hours, during which over 200 artillery shells and rockets struck the homes of peaceful civilians.
This sustained bombardment resulted in civilian casualties, leaving individuals dead and wounded—principally among the most vulnerable, particularly women, children, and the elderly. Assessing the definitive casualty figures or evacuating the wounded remains severely impeded due to the intensity of the shelling and the ongoing siege.
SAM warns that the targeted villages have effectively become "disaster zones," where residents face the total destruction of homes and private property alongside a severe deterioration in medical and living conditions. This marks an extension of the policy of collective punishment and the suffocating blockade imposed on Taiz, which deprives over two million civilians of basic necessities, essential services, and safe passage.
SAM affirms that targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure with heavy weaponry constitutes an explicit war crime and a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions, stressing that the inaction of the international community only compounds the human toll.
Accordingly, SAM Organization issues this urgent call for immediate action across the following tracks:
To the Houthi group: Cease immediately and unconditionally all military operations, rocket attacks, and artillery shelling against residential neighborhoods and villages in Kahlan and Al-Aqrud; immediately lift the siege on Taiz; and reopen all humanitarian corridors and access points.
To relief organizations and medical teams (local and international): Mobilize emergency relief and medical convoys without delay to treat the wounded, and provide emergency aid and shelter to devastated and displaced families across Sabir Al-Mawadim District.
To the United Nations, the UN Security Council, and international mechanisms: Take decisive action to halt these atrocities, establish effective civilian protection mechanisms, and deploy an impartial fact-finding mission to investigate these violations and hold the perpetrators accountable.
Issued by:
SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties