SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties said today, September 4, 2020, that the intensified fighting in Marib governorate due to Houthis militia attack on the city threatens the lives of tens of thousands of IDPs, fleeing from different Yemeni regions due to the ongoing conflict in the country, especially children and women, as Marib has become a safe destination for Yemenis who aspire for peace.

 

The organization confirmed that it documented horrific stories of children captured by government forces, some of them under the age of 12, who were recruited by the Houthis group and were forced into this war, in clear violation of the 2007 Paris Principles relating to the protection of children during wars, also, the continuing attack on Marib will double the number of children at risk of starvation in Yemen and jeopardize educational opportunities and psychological stability, in light of the intensified fighting without any commitment to the laws of war for the protection of civilians.

 

The organization warned that the war in Marib is placing millions of civilians before a real catastrophe and famine, in light of the deteriorated humanitarian situation, scaling down of UN programs due to lack of funding, and failure of the donor countries to meet their pledges, where Marib accommodates more than 90 camps and settlements for the IDPs.

 

The organization confirmed that the Houthis group fired 112 ballistic missiles and more than 132 Katyusha rockets, killing more than 251 civilians, including 25 children and 12 women, and wounding more than 438 civilians, including 47 children and 8 women, and there is a wide concern of a large-scale retaliation carried out by the Houthis militia. Against political opponents, similar to that took place in Al-Hazm, Al-Jouf, which will constitute a great burden on the international community.

 

The organization says that the international community and the international envoy must exert pressure to stop this war; stressing that any failure will be a green light to continue the attack on Marib, which will trigger a humanitarian catastrophe, no less devastating than the one in Hodiedah, Sana'a, Taiz and other densely populated areas, and therefore immediate action must be taken to stop the attack on Marib, similar to the intervention that Hodiedah witnessed, and made it as starting point to end the war in Yemen.

 

SAM stresses the need for Marib to remain a safe haven away free from any battles, and stresses the need to preserve the relative stability in this governorate, which has provided many Yemenis with a relatively normal life and has given them with opportunities for survival, and the international community must push to end this futile war and spare civilians its disastrous results.

 

The continuation of this war is a catastrophe for Yemenis, as hundreds of thousands will not be able to obtain food, water, or any other place to flee to.