Yemeni Rights Group Documents Escalating Houthi Violations in Western Coast

The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms has documented a surge in arbitrary arrests, home raids, and property seizures conducted by Houthi forces across various districts in Yemen’s Western Coast.

According to the organization's latest report, the campaign targeted residential areas in Hays, Khokha, and Mocha, as well as the villages of Al-Zahari, Al-Hayma, and Yakhtul. The militia’s operations involved the systematic storming of private homes and the detention of family members, particularly the relatives of individuals fighting against the group, in an apparent effort to coerce combatants into surrendering or returning to Houthi-controlled ranks.

Eyewitness accounts collected by the network describe armed militants looting private property, including jewelry and other valuables. These actions have induced widespread panic among residents, many of whom are unable to flee the conflict-stricken region. Field data indicates that these ongoing search and detention operations have led to a severe deterioration in the humanitarian and psychological well-being of the local population.

The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms condemned these actions, characterizing the use of arbitrary detention and the holding of families as hostages to exert pressure on their relatives as egregious violations of human rights. The organization has called for an immediate cessation of these hostilities, demanding the unconditional release of all detainees and the protection of civilians and their property in strict accordance with international humanitarian law and international human rights standards.