SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties, based in Geneva, is continuing its work in monitoring human rights situation in Yemen, where it has monitored and documented 617 violations during November, including extra-legal killing, physical assault, violation to press freedom, arbitrary detention, confiscation of properties, forced displacement, and torture.
Houthis militia is responsible for 297 of the total documented violations, Arab Coalition airstrikes 139, 62 by groups loyal to the legitimate government and armed groups in Taiz and Aden, and 49 violations by terrorist groups in Aden, US drones’ attacks are responsible for 15 violations, in addition to 13 unclaimed violations, yet committed at territories controlled by the legitimate authority. Victims of violations are categorized according to the following categories; 355 males, 44 females and 84 children.
During November, millions of Yemenis are still displaced, public servants are deprived of their salaries since last year, and thousands of Al-Wafi inhabitants live under tragic conditions, due to Houthis’ siege for seven months.
It is worth noting that the documented violations represent the representative segment of the actual situation, and reflects what SAM monitors managed to document.
Violation of the Right to Life:
SAM organization has monitored and documented 200 killings of civilians during November, including 117 killed by Arab Coalition’s airstrikes; 40 in Sa’da, 36 in Hajjah, 29 in Hodiedah, 12 in Al-Jouf, and 4 in Taiz, including 19 women victims of the airstrikes . In addition to 50 killed by Houthis militia; 22 in Taiz, 7 in Hodiedah, and others in Hajjah, Ibb and Al-Baidha, in addition to 4 killed by the legitimate government forces, and 39 by terrorist groups in Aden and armed groups in other areas.
Also, three civilians died due to torture in Houthis militia prisons, and landmines killed 19 others in Hodiedah and Taiz governorates, including one child.
Violation of the Right to Physical Integrity:
SAM organization has documented 160 injuries among civilian during November, including 20 women, and 50 children in Taiz and Sa’da, Hajjah, Hodiedah, Al-Baidha, and Shabwa governorates, and majority of casualties were attributed to the indiscriminate shelling by Houthis militia on residential areas in Taiz, followed by Arab Coalition airstrikes, and terrorist attacks, in Aden. In addition to 15 injuries by landmines used by Houthis militia in the areas from which they withdraw.
Arbitrary Detention:
Thousands of Yemeni civilians are under arbitrary detention at Houthis militia’s prisons in Sana’a and other areas under their control, in addition to hundreds of civilians in Security Belt and Hadhrami Elite prisons in Aden and Hadhramout. SAM has documented 115 new cases of arbitrary detention, 84 by Houthis militia; 25 in Hajjah, 15 in Sa’da, and other cases in Hodiedah, Taiz, Sana’a, and Amran, including journalists, and activists, in addition to 30 cases by the security forces in Aden and Shabwa.
Violations of Child Rights:
SAM organization has noticed the worrying increase in the violations against children during November, mainly in Taiz, and Hodiedah governorates, due to indiscriminate shelling and child recruitment by Houthis militia, where SAM has documented 84 cases of violations against children, including killing of 20 children and injuring of 49 others.
Reasons of killing included indiscriminate shelling by Houthis militia, Arab Coalition airstrikes. SAM also documented recruitment of 15 children by Houthis militia.
Violations against Women:
SAM organization has documented 44 violations against women, including 25 killings, and 14 injures two by mines used by Houthis militia at residential areas in Taiz, and Hodiedah, in addition to the detention of two women, and attack on three others by Houthis militia.
Mines:
Landmines continue to threaten civilians’ life in areas of previous confrontations, while Houthis militia continued using landmines widely, without proper mapping thereby increase the number of landmines victims, where 19 cases of landmines detonation were reported during November, killing seven civilians including one woman, and injuring 14 others, including six children and two women.
Violations against Journalists and Human Rights Defenders:
SAM has documented continuous violations against journalists and human rights defenders, while 16 journalists remain in Houthis prison in Sana’a, for more than two years, who have been referred to the unconstitutional specialized penal court for trial, also SAM has documented 15 new violations, in Sana’a, Hodiedah, Taiz and Sana’a city, and three arbitrary detention cases in Hajjah and Taiz of activists and journalists.
Rights activist Ali Baqityan, Hadhramout, is still under enforced disappearance since 8 January 2017, following his abduction by the UAE backed Hadhrami Elite forces.
Attacks on Public and Private Objects:
SAM has documented 40 attacks on public and private objects, by Houthis-Saleh militia, and Shabwani Elite forces in Shabwa, where SAM has documented 11 violations by these forces, including burning of 4 houses, 3 trade stores, and 3 vehicles in addition to the detonation of one house. Also, the detonation of one house and looting of many others in Hodiedah and Ibb by the militia.
SAM also has documented 18 attacks on public objects, three in Shabwa and remaining in Sana’a city and Hodiedah.
Recommendations:
SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties,
19 December 2017- Geneva