Report: Iran-backed Houthis commit 7742 violations in Yemen's Baydha

A human rights report said that the Iran-backed Houthis have committed thousands of crimes and violations against the people of Baydha governorate (central Yemen) since the beginning of the year 2015.

The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms stated in a report titled "Baydha Governorate Between Killing and Siege" released on Friday that they documented (7742) cases of human and material violations suffered by civilians and public and private properties in the governorate during the period from January 1, 2015, to June 30 of the current year.

The report mentioned that for over nine years, Baydha has been living under the war and siege imposed by the Houthis, including shelling, sniping, booby-trapping, kidnapping, looting, without any regard for international laws, conventions, and human rights.

The report included that the Houthi militia's war and imposed siege on the governorate have "created a humanitarian catastrophe and caused various disasters and crises in different aspects and areas of life."

According to the report, the Houthi violations included the killing of (842) civilians, including children and women, distributed among (61) cases of direct sniping resulting in death, (285) cases of direct gunfire causing death, (198) cases of death due to indiscriminate shelling, (214) cases of death due to landmines, (41) cases of execution by body disposal, (13) cases of death due to house explosions, (18) cases of assassination by the Houthi militias, (14) cases of death due to torture leading to death, (8) cases of death by running over with vehicles, and (17) cases of death due to other incidents.

The report also documented (931) injuries, including (93) cases of injuries from direct sniping, (271) cases of injuries from direct gunfire, (163) cases of injuries from indiscriminate shelling, (309) cases of injuries from landmines, some of which caused permanent disability or total paralysis, (34) cases of injuries from house explosions, (14) cases of injuries from torture leading to injuries and permanent disabilities, (16) cases of injuries from being run over by vehicles, and (29) cases of injuries from other incidents.

The report also detailed (2780) cases of arrest and abduction, (366) cases of enforced disappearance, and (132) cases of physical and psychological torture. The report included violations against private and public civilian properties and assets, with the field team of the Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms documenting (2691) cases of violations against public and private civilian assets, including (714) cases of partial damage to citizens' homes due to indiscriminate shelling, (346) cases of total damage to citizens' homes due to direct shelling, (171) cases of looting private vehicles belonging to civilians, (103) cases of house explosions, (12) cases of destruction of public service facilities, (12) cases of damage to public health facilities, (48) cases of damage to mosques and places of worship, (52) cases of damage to public water tanks, (17) cases of destruction of water wells, (62) cases of destruction of citizens' farms, (178) cases of damage to private commercial shops, (114) cases of damage and destruction of private vehicles, (38) cases of raiding government facilities, (7) cases of raiding party headquarters, (476) cases of raiding and searching homes, (312) cases of looting private belongings of citizens, (23) cases of closure of private educational schools, and (54) cases of closure of public government educational schools.

The report mentioned that the siege imposed by the Houthis on some cities and villages, and their use of excessive force and targeting of villages and isolated areas with indiscriminate projectiles such as Katyusha rockets, artillery, mortar shells, and drones, led to the displacement of 80,649 families in 16 directorates of the governorate.

The report indicated that the Houthi's siege on the governorate has led to a deterioration of the humanitarian situation and extreme suffering for the residents, who face severe shortages of food, water, and medicine, as well as the disruption of basic services such as electricity and water.