SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties, based in Genève, continues its work in monitoring human rights situation in Yemen, where it has monitored and documented 725 violations during August 2017, including extralegal killing, physical assaults, violation to press freedoms, arbitrary detention, confiscation of properties, enforced displacement and torture.
Houthis militia committed 560 violations out of the 725 documented violations, Arab Coalition airstrikes 78, 20 by parties loyal to the legitimate government and armed groups in Taiz, and Aden, and 20 violations by anonymous groups in territories controlled by the government, in addition to 22 people swept by floods in unsafe road they should follow due to Houthis blockade to Taiz city.
Violation of the Right to Life:
SAM organization has monitored and documented 129 killings of civilians, including 50 killed by Houthis militia mainly by indiscriminate shelling on residential areas in Taiz, one under torture, 8 assassinated in Taiz, Ibb, Amran and Hadhramout governorates. Landmines killed 3 including a two months old enfant. Arab Coalition airstrike toll in August is 78 people in Sana’a, the capital, and Sana’a governorate including children and women.
Violation of the Right to Physical Integrity:
SAM organization has documented 185 injuries among civilian’s during August, including 15 women, in Sana’a the capital, and Taiz governorate, including 7 children, mainly by indiscriminate shelling by Houthis militia and Saleh forces on residential areas in Taiz, followed by Arab Coalition airstrikes and 7 injuries by landmines.
Arbitrary Detention:
Thousands of Yemenis are under arbitrary detention at Houthis militia and Saleh prisons in Sana’a and other areas under their control. In addition to tens of civilians in Security belt and Hadhrami elite prisons in Aden and Hadhramout. Last month several detainees were released by Houthis-Saleh group, while no releases were reported from Hadhrami Elite or Security Belt forces side.
SAM organization also documented 1230 new arbitrary detentions during August 2017, by Houthis-Saleh militia, including 75 and 25 cases by armed factions affiliated to the legitimate government in Taiz, and Security Belt in Aden, detention cases were distributed among following governorates; 30 in Hodiedah, 25 in Taiz, 25 in Hajjah, 22 in Dhamar, 10 in Ibb and 10 in Sana’a, including one child, and 8 cases in Amran, Mahwet and Hodiedah.
Violation of Child Rights:
SAM organization documented continued violations to child rights in August, in the armed confrontation zone, where 78 violations were reported, including 15 child recruitment by Houthis militia and Saleh forces, in Dhamar, Taiz, and Sana’a governorates, killing of 15 children, mainly in Sana’a governorate, and injuring 47 others due to indiscriminate shelling by Houthis militia on residential areas in Taiz, and Arab Coalition airstrikes that disregarded rules of combat related to avoid residential areas and targets close to civilians.
Violations against Women:
SAM organization has documented 27 violations against women, including 11 killings, involving one child, in addition to 16 injuries among women.
Mines:
Landmines continue to threaten civilians’ life in areas of previous confrontations, while Houthis militia continued using landmines widely, without proper mapping causing increase of landmines’ victims, where 9 cases of landmines detonation were reported during August, killing three civilians including one child and injured seven others.
Violations of Journalists and Human Rights Defenders:
SAM has documented continuous violations against media outlets, journalists, and human rights defenders, included incitement, physical assault, and intimidation, where 3 physical assaults reported in Taiz and Shabwa, two intimidation cases. Houthis militia referred 10 journalists to state security prosecution following two years of abduction, and 1 journalists was arbitrarily detained in Bajil, Hodiedah.
Blockade and Enforced Displacement of Civilians:
Beside continued blockade of Al-Wafi village in Jabal Habashi district, Taiz, for the eighth consecutive month, and denial of return to many families to their houses by legitimate forces led by UAE in Mocha and Zu Bab, also SAM has reported displacement of 120 families in Dhabab, Taiz, by Houthis group.
Finally, SAM organization urges for immediate resolution to people’s daily sufferings and to pay salaries by the de facto power in Sana’a and de jury government in Aden, confirming that salaries should not be subjected to political compromise, and the authority that collect state revenues shall pay salaries immediately.
SAM organization stresses on the deteriorating health situation and failure of heath sector to combat cholera outbreak, calling upon the international community to help Yemeni and call to declare Yemen as disaster area tom provide urgent relief aids.
Recommendations:
SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties, denounces all crimes included in this statement which are gross violations of the international humanitarian law and human rights law, particularly indiscriminate shelling, and enforced displacement.
SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties,
19 September 2017, Genève