54 Killed, 147 Injured, 166 Abducted: 1,444 Houthi Violations Documented in Taiz During October

Yemen Monitor / Taiz / Exclusive: The Taiz Human Rights Center has documented 1,444 violations committed by the Houthi militia against civilians and civilian infrastructure across Taiz Governorate in October. The abuses include the killing of 54 civilians, the injury of 147 others, and the abduction of 166 individuals, according to a rights report released by the center Thursday titled “Taiz Under Fire and Siege.” Speaking at a press conference held in Taiz city, the center stated that the violations recorded by its field teams between October 1 and October 31 spanned 14 districts. The recorded abuses encompassed killings, injuries, abductions, the shelling, raiding, and looting of homes, as well as damage to educational, medical, and religious facilities, occurring alongside military escalation and an intensified siege on the city. According to the report, the attacks resulted in the deaths of 54 civilians—including 19 children and 13 women—and left 147 others injured, among them 49 children and 42 women. Additionally, 166 civilians were abducted. The findings indicate that women and children account for 32 of total fatalities and 91 of those injured, underscoring the severe toll inflicted on the most vulnerable populations during the attacks, the center noted. Regarding property and civilian infrastructure damage, the report documented the raiding and looting of 374 homes, the total destruction of nine residences, and partial damage to 255 others. Furthermore, 119 educational facilities—including Al-Turbah University and the Health Institute—and 190 mosques sustained damage. The report also recorded damage to 131 health facilities, including 11 that were completely destroyed, while the militia seized control of 120 other facilities, according to the center. Mazen Aqlan, Head of the Taiz Human Rights Center, stated that the report relied on a multi-stage documentation methodology. The process began with field monitoring and receiving reports, followed by data sorting, analysis, and the classification of violations based on their nature, locations, and methods used, culminating in a final review to verify the figures. Aqlan added that behind every statistic in the report lies a victim and an affected family, stressing that precise documentation aims to convey civilian suffering and preserve evidence to support the victims’ rights to justice and accountability. The center highlighted that the violations extended beyond human and material losses, severely disrupting essential services and eroding residents’ ability to remain in their communities amid what it described as an ongoing siege and critical shortages of food, water, fuel, medicine, and healthcare. The report warned of the grave consequences of seizing educational, medical, and religious facilities or converting them to military use, as well as targeting ambulances. It emphasized that such practices compound the risks to civilians and obstruct the delivery of basic services during military escalations. The center called on the Houthi militia to cease attacks on civilians and civilian objects, lift the siege on Taiz, open primary roads and crossings, and ensure the unhindered entry of food, water, fuel, medicine, and humanitarian aid. It further demanded the release of arbitrarily detained individuals and full disclosure regarding the fate of the forcibly disappeared. Additionally, it urged the total demilitarization of educational, medical, and religious facilities, the restitution of looted property, the handover of minefield and explosive device maps to competent authorities, and increased support for demining operations to secure contaminated areas. On the international front, the center urged the United Nations, the international community, and humanitarian organizations to intensify pressure to end violations and lift the siege. It also called for expanded humanitarian interventions and medical evacuations, alongside support for independent investigations, evidence preservation, and accountability mechanisms to ensure perpetrators do not enjoy impunity. The post 54 Killed, 147 Injured, 166 Abducted: 1,444 Houthi Violations Documented in Taiz During October appeared first on Yemen Monitor.