Houthis Commit Widespread Violations a Week Before Yemen Truce Ends

Arab World

July 26th, 5:49am

Aden - Ali Rabih

Displaced Yemenis receive food aid amid a heightened food insecurity, at a camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) on the outskirts of Sanaa, Yemen, 29 April 2022 (issued 27 June 2022). (EPA)

The Iran-backed Houthi militias are committing widespread violations, most notably in the besieged Taiz province, al-Jawf, Marib and the western coast, a week before the UN-sponsored truce ends. A rights group in the al-Jawf province said the militias committed 20 violations against civilians in July. They included the killing and injury of 18 people, arbitrary arrests and damage to three properties due to mines planted by the militias. It added that the Houthis are committing almost daily violations in the province amid the truce that was announced in early April. It called on the UN, international community and all local and international rights groups to condemn the ugly Houthi crimes, act to stop them and hold the perpetrators to account. In Taiz, the militias renewed their shelling of residential neighborhoods in the city a day after a child was killed and 11 others injured in shelling. Media Ministry Undersecretary Fayyad al-Numan condemned the international community and UN’s “overlooking” of these violations. He told Asharq Al-Awsat that the international community and UN envoy were seeking to extend the humanitarian truce to claim personal accomplishments, while disregarding the suffering of the people, who are the victims of the “ugliest crimes committed by a terrorist group.” He accused the Houthis of war crimes, starving the people and laying siege to regions. He lamented how the truce was implemented solely by the legitimate government, while the Houthis “not only rejected the deal, but defied the world, international community and UN Security Council, by refusing to positively approach the UN envoy’s proposals to ensure the success of the truce.” Moreover, Numan described envoy Hans Grundberg and his backers’ role as “weak” and not enough to “achieve any breakthrough in the implementation of the truce so that it could act as the first step in the transition towards peace based on the three main references.” The official warned that the lack of real deterrent measures against the Houthis will render the extension of the truce for a second time as mere ink on paper seeing as the militias are continuing to violate it. Government reports have said Houthi violations of the truce have killed and injured 128 people in Taiz alone. Hundreds of people have been killed and injured in other regions, whether by shelling, sniper fire or landmines.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3779931/houthis-commit-widespread-violations-week-yemen-truce-ends