"A Decade of Collapse"... Human Rights Report: The Houthi Coup Divided Yemen and Turned It into a Backyard for Regional and International Interventions

SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties said in a report that Yemen witnessed a radical transformation when the Houthis carried out a coup against the government in September 2014, which led to a series of political events that greatly weakened the state and made Yemen a backyard for regional and international interventions, which further complicated efforts to achieve stability and peace in the region.

The report, titled “A Decade of Collapse,” explained that the Houthi coup turned Yemen into a backyard for regional and international countries, including Iran, which supported the Houthis, which profoundly affected the course of the war and the humanitarian and political conditions in the country, and increased the complexity of the conflict and made peaceful solutions more difficult. These factors combined led to the division of Yemen into separate areas of influence, and the emergence of major challenges to the state restoring its unity and sovereignty.

The report issued by SAM stated that these conditions resulting from the coup caused the development wheel to stop completely, as employees’ salaries were stopped and prices rose significantly, which increased the suffering of the Yemeni people, and the conflict led to the forced displacement of more than two million civilians.

The report indicated that the Houthi coup caused one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, as more than half of the country's population is in dire need of humanitarian aid, and nearly 17.8 million people need health aid, half of whom are children. The siege and ongoing battles have also led to widespread displacement of the population, which has further complicated the situation.

He stated that the conflict has led to the collapse of the local economy, as economic activity has contracted by about 50% of the GDP, and the economic loss has reached between $170 and $200 billion, indicating that the war has disrupted trade and destroyed vital facilities, such as ports and airports, making it difficult for Yemenis to secure their basic needs, and inflation and the collapse of the currency have exacerbated poverty and unemployment.

The report highlighted the policy of systematic impoverishment and economic exhaustion pursued by the Houthis throughout the ten years of the coup, as they imposed exorbitant taxes and fees on merchants and citizens, including: royalties for the Prophet’s birthday, and raising taxes by an estimated 500% on the real estate, agriculture, local and imported goods sectors, so that the Houthi treasury’s revenues during 2022-2023 alone, from the sectors of taxes, customs, zakat, endowments, oil and gas, amounted to approximately $8.7 billion.

The report noted that the judicial system was shaken, as the Houthi group worked to politicize it and used it as a means of revenge against political opponents, which led to the creation of an environment of fear and threat. This politicization is evident in the issuance by courts under the group’s authority of more than 550 death sentences against opponents, based on fabricated charges.

The report pointed out that since the Houthi coup against the legitimate state in Yemen, the country has witnessed a noticeable decline in political and civil liberties, and the human rights situation has deteriorated significantly, as the group has disrupted political activities, banned political parties and unions, imposed restrictions on freedom of assembly, and prevented demonstrations and protests.

He added: Strict restrictions were imposed on the media, with nearly a thousand documented violations of media freedoms being committed, in addition to the closure of nearly 163 newspapers, magazines and radio stations, the blocking of more than 200 local and foreign news websites from followers in Yemen, and the arrest of dozens of journalists who tried to cover the situation, in addition to the exposure of human rights activists to threats and harassment.

The report indicated that the Houthi group arbitrarily arrested more than 18,000 civilians and hid many victims in unofficial prisons not subject to judicial supervision, where detainees face harsh conditions, including torture leading to death, explaining that more than 17,000 cases of torture against detainees in Houthi prisons were monitored and documented by human rights organizations.

The report (A Decade of Collapse) stated that many areas witnessed indiscriminate shelling of residential neighborhoods, with various weapons, including: random shells, drones, missiles, snipers and mines, which led to the killing of more than 15,000 civilians, and the injury of more than 34,000 others, since the Houthi coup in September 2014.

The report indicated that the Houthi group committed more than 21,500 cases of violations against women during the period from September 2015 to October 2022, including arbitrary arrest and detention, looting, sexual assault, beatings and torture, in addition to imposing discriminatory restrictions targeting women, including: restricting freedom of movement, imposing a certain style of dress, preventing work in restaurants, requiring permission from a male guardian to allow travel, excluding them from participating in public life and preventing them from exercising their rights.

The Houthi group also committed serious violations against civilians in Yemen, planting more than 2,300,000 mines in various regions, killing 2,632 people, including 477 children and 168 women, and injuring 3,386 others, including 730 children and 219 women, during the period from 2014 to 2022. Mines also damaged 4,743 private facilities and 456 public facilities.

In addition, the group has completely blown up 713 homes as of December 2023, and has recruited about 30,000 children since 2014, reflecting the extent of the suffering experienced by civilians as a result of these violations.

The report argued that establishing peace in Yemen requires a serious commitment from all parties, and a strong political will to devise comprehensive solutions that go beyond military solutions, and include humanitarian, political and economic dimensions, most notably comprehensive political negotiations, accompanied by binding Security Council resolutions imposing a permanent ceasefire.

The report called for intensifying humanitarian aid and working to rebuild basic infrastructure, such as hospitals, schools, water and electricity networks, and providing support to humanitarian organizations to meet the urgent needs of the population, with a focus on protecting civilians, especially women and children, from violations.

The report suggested the creation of a comprehensive reconstruction plan that includes supporting the private sector, restoring basic services, and strengthening good governance. Donor countries and organizations should play a major role in providing financial and technical assistance, and supporting small and medium enterprises to stimulate the economy. These countries should also provide political and economic support to Yemen, and contribute to providing a platform for dialogue between the Yemeni parties, in addition to working to prevent interventions that fuel the conflict.

The report issued by SAM stressed that ensuring human rights must be an essential part of any peace agreement, with the need to establish mechanisms to hold those responsible for violations accountable and subject them to a fair and transparent trial, and to activate the role of civil society in monitoring the implementation of agreements.

The report called for supporting national reconciliation programmes aimed at addressing the social and psychological wounds resulting from the conflict, with these programmes to include initiatives for tolerance and coexistence, in addition to promoting transitional justice to ensure accountability for those responsible for crimes and compensation for victims.

The report stressed the need for all these efforts to be based on a clear time frame and international commitment to ensure their effective implementation, noting that achieving peace in Yemen is not an easy task, but it is necessary to build a secure and stable future for the country and its people.