Geneva – SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties has released an extensive human rights report titled “No One Protects the Victims,” documenting serious violations linked to security and military developments in the governorates of Hadramout and Al-Mahra during December 2025. The report warns that these events are not isolated incidents, but rather reflect an advanced stage of state authority erosion and the expansion of armed formations operating outside constitutional and legal frameworks, amid fragmented power centers and weakened effective governance.
Alarming Developments and a Dangerous Shift
The report provides a narrative analysis of events within a broader context dating back to 2017, marked by the emergence of parallel armed formations, failed integration and restructuring efforts, and stalled security arrangements. According to the report, attempts to “unify command” following the establishment of the Presidential Leadership Council failed to produce meaningful change, as separate chains of command persisted, internal and external actors’ roles overlapped, and areas of influence transformed into de facto authorities imposing control by force.
Methodology: Direct Testimonies and Open-Source Analysis
SAM’s monitoring team adopted a multi-source methodology, including confidential interviews with victims and eyewitnesses via secure channels, review of official documents and statements issued by government entities, local authorities, and de facto forces, as well as open-source intelligence and verified visual materials. The report relied on international humanitarian law and digital verification experts, applying strict confidentiality and cross-verification standards due to security constraints.
Fragmented Armed Actors and Competing Power Centers
The report identifies the presence of regular government forces—particularly the First and Second Military Regions—alongside armed formations not effectively subordinate to state institutions, including forces linked to the Southern Transitional Council and other groups with varying affiliations. It also documents the growing role of local tribal armed formations, notably the “Hadramout Protection Forces,” which evolved from advocacy structures into armed entities exercising control on the ground.
Unverified Accusations and Media Campaigns
The report examines widespread media accusations targeting the First Military Region, including claims of drug trafficking and arms smuggling to the Houthis. It concludes that no verifiable evidence—such as judicial seizure records, independent investigation reports, or neutral official statements—was presented, rendering these allegations part of political and media discourse rather than substantiated facts.
Killings, Arbitrary Detention, Looting, and Forced Displacement
SAM documented a pattern of violations accompanying the expansion of armed deployments, including unlawful killings, arbitrary detention, cruel and degrading treatment, large-scale looting of public and private property, violations of home sanctity, seizure of civilian facilities, and the imposition of alternative authorities within state institutions. These violations generated widespread fear, social instability, and severe humanitarian consequences.
Looting of Homes and Forced Evictions
The report highlights raids and deployments in Wadi Hadramout and Seiyun, including incursions into civilian and government buildings, restrictions on staff movement, and attacks on homes belonging to officials, soldiers, and civilians. Particularly grave were the violations against residents of the “wooden houses” and Marima camp in Seiyun, where the belongings of approximately 450 families were looted, constituting a serious breach of the rights to housing, property, and human dignity.
Field Testimonies: “We Left With Nothing”
Eyewitness testimonies described the looting of 23–24 homes in Al-Qatn city over several hours, with residents forcibly expelled without being allowed to take any belongings. Survivors reported forced displacement to neighboring governorates, living in harsh conditions lacking adequate shelter, food, healthcare, and security, with severe psychological impacts on women and children.
Commercial Losses and Documented Evidence
The report reviewed accounting records, photographs, and inventory lists documenting the looting of shops and warehouses in areas such as Sara and Seiyun market. The materials detail stolen goods and financial losses, corroborating a pattern of public and systematic looting amid security collapse.
Arbitrary Arrests and Risk of Enforced Disappearance
SAM documented raids and arrests in Seiyun and Al-Shihr during December 2025, carried out without judicial warrants, disclosure of detention locations, or family access. The report warns that holding detainees in undisclosed locations raises serious risks of enforced disappearance.
Digital Campaigns and Threats Against Journalists
The report also recorded coordinated online campaigns promoting secessionist narratives under the label “State of South Arabia,” amplified through what analysts described as fake or automated accounts. It further documented incitement and threats against journalists, media workers, and human rights defenders in Hadramout, including activist Yusra Al-Battati, contributing to an atmosphere of intimidation and shrinking civic space.
Victims and Humanitarian Impact
The report documents the forced displacement of approximately 374–375 families from Wadi Hadramout to Marib governorate, with an average household size of 5.6 members. Displaced families face overcrowded shelters, weak infrastructure, limited healthcare access, and severe psychological trauma.
Legal Implications and Accountability
Analyzing the violations under international humanitarian law—particularly Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocol II—the report does not issue final judicial determinations but stresses that several documented acts may entail individual or command responsibility if established before competent judicial bodies, and could raise international responsibility where effective control or decisive support is proven.
Concerns Over Official Silence and Impunity
SAM criticizes the absence of a clear response from the Ministry of Human Rights during the reporting period, warning that official silence undermines accountability, weakens victims’ access to justice, and risks normalizing violations against civilians.
Urgent Recommendations
The report concludes by calling for:
SAM emphasizes that these measures are essential to restoring public trust, protecting civilians, and breaking the cycle of violence and impunity.