مصغر التقرير السنوي 2019 -البيان
In 2019, various parts of Yemen witnessed escalating violence, with attacks causing significant loss of life and widespread damage to vital infrastructure. Once again, Mwatana documented serious violations of international humanitarian law and grave human rights abuses
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Mwatana releases annual report, "Without Accountability," about human rights situation in Yemen in 2019
Monday, October 19, 2020
Sana'a – Parties to the conflict in Yemen once again demonstrated a clear disregard for civilians and the provisions of international law, while those most impacted by the war remained without accountability and redress, Mwatana for Human Rights said in its 2019 annual report, Without Accountability: The Human Rights Situation in Yemen in 2019.
In 2019, various parts of Yemen witnessed escalating violence, with attacks causing significant loss of life and widespread damage to vital infrastructure. Once again, Mwatana documented serious violations of international humanitarian law and grave human rights abuses committed by Yemen’s warring parties, some of which may amount to war crimes.
While millions of Yemenis remained on the brink of starvation, the warring parties, including the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group and the forces of or affiliated with the Saudi/UAE-led coalition, increasingly resorted to imposing arbitrary and excessive bureaucratic measures and restrictions that prevented materials needed for basic survival from reaching vulnerable groups.
“Yemen’s warring parties have depended on policies of impunity, and as long as those policies hold Yemeni men and women will continue to be trapped and left alone to deal with grave violations by reckless warring parties,” said Radhya Almutawakel, Chairperson of Mwatana for Human Rights. “Taking concrete steps towards accountability and redress is necessary to protect civilians and to break the repeated cycles of violence in Yemen.”
In Without Accountability, its third annual report, Mwatana provides an extensive review of the human rights situation in Yemen in 2019. Mwatana based the report on its field research, including in-depth investigations and direct examinations of ariel and ground attack sites. Mwatana conducted at least 2,376 interviews with witnesses, relatives of victims, survivors, and doctors, and examined documents, photos, videos, and other material evidence between January 2019 and December 2019. The report highlights prominent patterns of attacks and abuse causing civilian harm, based on about 1,213 documented incidents. The cases included in the report are not exhaustive. They are intended to shed light on the broader reality civilians are facing in the country and different patterns of violations.
All warring parties—including the Saudi/UAE-led coalition, the armed forces and armed groups affiliated with President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, the Ansar Allah (Houthi) armed group, the Southern Transitional Council, and the UAE-backed Joint Forces on the West Coast—are obliged to comply with international humanitarian law. International human rights law remains in effect.
“Even as the war continued, Yemen did not need to become the world's largest humanitarian crisis. This happened because of the lack of accountability, and because of every war crime the parties to the conflict committed without consequence,” Almutawakel added. “The international community must meet its responsibility to end the policy of impunity and to ensure war criminals are held to account and victims receive redress.”
Starvation
In 2019, Mwatana documented at least 112 incidents that again raised concerns regarding the use of starvation as a method of warfare, including attacks impacting objects essential to the survival of the civilian population and warring parties’ repeatedly impeding humanitarian relief in 17 Yemeni governorates. The Ansar Allah (Houthi) group was responsible for 81 of the documented incidents, with the Saudi/UAE-led coalition responsible for 15, Saudi ground forces seven, government forces four, the UAE-Backed Joint Forces two, and the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council one. Mwatana found different warring parties shared responsibility in one of the remaining incidents, and was unable to determine responsibility in another.
Air Strikes
Air strikes continued to kill and wound civilians and damage and destroy protected civilian objects in Yemen in 2019. Air strikes hit residential neighborhoods, detention centers, markets, bridges, schools, and service and commercial facilities. In 2019, Mwatana documented at least 64 Saudi/UAE-led coalition air strikes that caused civilian harm in ten Yemeni governorates. These attacks killed at least 293 civilians, including 95 children and 54 women, and wounded at least 380 civilians, including 111 children and 57 women.
Ground Attacks
Indiscriminate ground attacks on populated areas in Yemen have caused significant damage, killing and wounding civilians and destroying civilian property. In 2019, Mwatana documented approximately 124 ground attacks that killed 132 people, including 27 women and 73 children, and wounded at least 329 civilians, including 57 women and 202 children in 11 Yemeni governorates. According to Mwatana’s findings, the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group was responsible for 67 of the documented incidents, with government forces, Saudi ground forces and armed groups loyal to Saudi/UAE-led coalition forces responsible for 43. The Ansar Allah (Houthi) group and government forces bore joint responsibility for 11 incidents. In three incidents, researchers were unable to identify the responsible party.
Landmines
In 2019, Mwatana documented about 46 incidents of landmine explosions, which killed or wounded at least 83 civilians, most of whom were women and children. The Ansar Allah (Houthi) group planted all of these landmines.
Recruitment and Use of Children
Mwatana investigated the recruitment and use of at least 602 children, including at least 43 girls, in 2019. The Ansar Allah (Houthi) group recruited approximately 75 percent of these children. Armed forces and groups of President Hadi and associated resistance groups recruited about 18 percent, the UAE-supported Security Belt forces and the Hadrami Elite Forces 6 percent, and the UAE-backed Joint Forces the remaining 1 percent.
Enforced Disappearance, Arbitrary Detention and Torture
Parties to the conflict in Yemen arbitrarily detained civilians in all 21 Yemeni governorates that Mwatana covers (out of Yemen’s 22 total governorates). In 2019, Mwatana documented 210 incidents of arbitrary detention of 265 people, including 18 children and eight women. In 2019, Mwatana documented 39 cases of enforced disappearance of 44 people, including a child. Mwatana also documented eight cases of torture—UAE-backed Security Belt Forces in Abyan governorate were responsible for four, including two cases where the person abused died in detention. The Ansar Allah (Houthi) group was responsible for the remaining four in Taiz, Amanat Al-Asemah and Hajjah governorates. In three of these cases, the person abused died in detention.
Sexual Violence
In 2019, Mwatana documented 12 cases of sexual violence, including nine cases of rape and three other forms of sexual assault. Those subjected to sexual violence included 11 children (nine girls and two boys) and a woman. Two of the children were killed after being subjected to sexual violence. The Ansar Allah (Houthi) group was responsible for 10 incidents, and the Giants Brigades and the Security Belt Forces of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council responsible for two.
Attacks on Schools
Parties to the conflict in Yemen have destroyed schools and educational facilities, caused severe damage to them, and militarily used and occupied them. In some cases, this has led to deaths and injuries among students. In 2019, Mwatana documented at least 56 incidents of attacks on or use of schools for military purposes. These cases included three Saudi/UAE-led coalition air strikes, three indiscriminate ground attacks (one by the armed forces and groups of President Hadi and two by the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group), 36 incidents of the military use of schools (with the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group responsible for 35 incidents, and the armed forces and groups of President Hadi responsible for one), and 11 incidents of school occupation (seven by the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group, two by the Security Belt forces, and two by the armed forces and groups of President Hadi). In an investigation conducted in partnership with Human Rights Watch, Mwatana also documented three other schools impacted by an explosion in a warehouse containing a large amount of volatile substances stored by the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group in the residential neighborhood of Sa’wan in Amanat Al-Asemah. The explosion killed 15 children and injured dozens.
Attacks on Health Care
Throughout 2019, Mwatana documented 19 attacks and other forms of abuse impacting hospitals, health centers and medical staff. Armed fighters intruded and forcibly entered medical facilities, medical teams were attacked, including fighters shooting at them, and humanitarian and medical aid was obstructed. Four people were killed in these attacks, including a health worker and a doctor, and four were wounded, including a health worker. The Ansar Allah (Houthi) group committed six of the documented incidents, the armed forces and groups of President Hadi 12, and the Saudi/UAE-led coalition one.
The Press
In 2019, Mwatana documented 10 cases, affecting 13 journalists and media workers, of warring parties attacking, abusing, harassing, detaining or otherwise impeding the work of the press and the media. Seven of the documented cases were committed by security and military forces affiliated with President Hadi, two by the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group, which arbitrarily arrested a journalist and forcibly disappeared another, and one by the Saudi/UAE-led coalition, with an air strike hitting the home of journalist Abdallah Sabri.
Freedom of Movement
In 2019, Mwatana documented 29 incidents of warring parties restricting movement in different parts of Yemen. The Ansar Allah (Houthi) group was responsible for 17 of the documented incidents, while government forces and affiliated groups were responsible for eight, and the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council for three. Ansar Allah (Houthi) forces and government forces were jointly responsible for one incident.
Peaceful Assembly
The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council cracked down on peaceful gatherings and demonstrations of Yemeni citizens in Abyan and Hadhramaut.
Religious Minorities
In 2019, Ansar Allah continued its abuse and harassment of the Baha'i community.
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