Local authority in Hodeidah: Houthi militia displaced more than 6,000 citizens in the past days

The local authority in Al Hudaydah Governorate revealed that the terrorist Houthi militia displaced 6,250 citizens from the Al Hawak and Al Jarrahi districts during the past few days, in addition to 350 people who were displaced earlier this year from Bajil district.

This came in a statement published on its website on Wednesday, in which it condemned the forced displacement operations carried out by the terrorist Houthi militias against the residents of a number of villages in the coastal directorates south and north of the governorate since the end of last October, as part of its series of crimes and daily gross violations of human rights.

The local authority said in its statement that the Houthi militias forced, during the past two days, the residents of five villages south of Al-Jarahi District, comprising 350 families, or about 1,750 people, to evacuate their homes at gunpoint, to begin construction, digging tunnels, and building military fortifications in those residential areas.

She added, "The residents of these villages are now living in the open after being forcibly displaced from their homes, farms and livelihoods, amidst the complete disregard and silence of local and international human rights organizations towards these blatant practices and violations."

The statement stressed that the residents of these villages depend on agriculture as their main source of income, warning that this displacement will lead to depriving the people of these villages of their source of livelihood and deepening their human suffering, in addition to causing destruction to hundreds of lands and agricultural holdings.

The local authority explained that the forced displacement of residents of the areas and villages of Al-Jarahi directorates comes days after similar displacement operations that affected hundreds of residents of the coastal city of Al-Manzar, located on the outskirts of the city of Hodeidah and affiliated with Al-Hawak directorate, where the terrorist Houthi militias built a wall around the city, which has a population of approximately 4,500 people, and closed all the outlets and roads leading to it, forcing its residents to flee.

She pointed out that the terrorist Houthi militias had earlier this year displaced the residents of Al-Daqawneh village, located on the main road linking Haradh-Hodeidah, affiliated with Bajil District, which has a population of 70 families, or approximately 350 people, in addition to turning the Al-Khobah fish port in Al-Luhayyah District into a closed military zone after preventing fishermen from anchoring their boats and practicing their fishing activities.

The local authority called on the regional and international community, the United Nations, and all international, humanitarian, and human rights organizations to stand against these violations committed by the terrorist Houthi militias against the residents of Al Hudaydah Governorate, which contradict international humanitarian law, human rights principles and agreements, and the global principles for protecting civilians during conflicts.

The local authority confirmed that these violations and the previous targeting of civilians are considered war crimes, calling on the United Nations, the UN Security Council and the Human Rights Council to condemn these crimes.