Advancing Leading Human Rights Work, Launching New Initiatives, and Achieving Institutional Development Milestones
Introduction
The year 2024 was one of the most eventful years for Mwatana for Human Rights, as the organization successfully implemented numerous activities across various levels, initiated new work pathways to adapt to the evolving Yemeni context, and strived to meet the dynamic needs of human rights work through diverse forms of humanitarian action. Mwatana expanded its priorities, moving beyond the focus imposed by years of armed conflict, and introduced several critical issues into its agenda for the year and beyond, marking the start of a new journey of work and hope.
Despite the limited funding available to support human rights organizations, Mwatana’s team leveraged its expertise gained from working in conflict settings, coupled with a steadfast commitment to managing the organization’s limited resources with the utmost integrity, efficiency, and effectiveness. This strategy proved to be the only viable path, allowing Mwatana to carry out impactful human rights activities throughout 2024. These efforts significantly contributed to advancing human rights in Yemen by continuing to document violations committed by all parties to the conflict, and by providing legal support and assistance to victims of enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, torture, and procedural justice violations. Priority was given to women, marginalized groups, and vulnerable groups.
Mwatana also intensified its efforts through tactical and strategic activities, employing diverse and innovative mechanisms that combined localization, initiative, quality, efficiency, and integration. These activities were built on participatory and interactive approaches involving a wide range of stakeholders and were grounded in sustainable work areas covering the entire map of the Republic of Yemen. These efforts aimed to raise public awareness, empowering citizens to become the first line of defense for their fundamental rights while building the capacities of a new generation of human rights workers.
Additionally, Mwatana implemented advocacy campaigns, community meetings, and networking activities with activists and civil society organizations across areas controlled by different parties. These efforts aimed to foster collaboration and address field gaps.
As victims, their families, witnesses, informants, collaborators, supporters, allies, and partners grew increasingly confident in Mwatana’s work throughout 2024, the organization's activities faced intensified attacks by warring parties. These campaigns sought to undermine Mwatana’s leadership, management, and operations in an attempt to silence its voice. Nevertheless, the resilience, commitment, dedication, and professionalism of Mwatana’s staff, supported by robust institutional structures and effective governance, enabled the organization to confront these overt and covert assaults, including direct attacks on its platforms and indirect campaigns led by networks operating under various guises.
Moreover, Mwatana achieved a strategic institutional development process during 2024, following a comprehensive and time-bound plan devised at the beginning of the year.
The year 2024 served as a live test of Mwatana for Human Rights’ institutional capacities. It demonstrated the organization’s ability to efficiently fulfill its core human rights mandates, implement project activities on schedule with high quality, deliver periodic reports punctually, maintain effective communication with all partners—both within Yemen and abroad—and comply with routine and unexpected evaluation and audit processes. Furthermore, Mwatana successfully completed a strategic institutional development process, initiated new pathways, and established an international office to address human rights issues in Gaza, Sudan, and several other conflict-affected regions worldwide. Simultaneously, Mwatana effectively countered numerous attempts at subversion and infiltration by a broad coalition of influential warring parties, as well as extensive campaigns of fabrication, defamation, and incitement.
Through this annual briefing, Mwatana shares a summary of its most significant activities throughout 2024 across various institutional work domains. These critical efforts to advance human rights were made possible only through the trust of victims of human rights violations and their families, the confidence of witnesses, informants, and collaborators across Yemen, and the support of allies and partners within Yemen and around the globe.
Mwatana for Human Rights prioritizes the monitoring and documentation of violations committed against civilians by various parties to the conflict, including the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group, the internationally recognized government, the Southern Transitional Council, the Joint Forces, and the Saudi/UAE-led coalition. This prioritization stems from Mwatana’s belief in the importance of building a human rights memory and the critical role this process can play in establishing transitional justice, accountability, and redress for victims following the cessation of armed conflict.
From January 1 to November 30, 2024, Mwatana documented 2,439 incidents of violations encompassing 31 patterns. The most prominent included arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture, attacks on schools and their use for military purposes, child recruitment, live ammunition incidents, landmines and explosive remnants, obstruction of humanitarian aid, vehicular assaults by military vehicles, attacks on civic spaces, assaults on hospitals and health centers, the use of drones, airstrikes, restrictions on freedom of movement, and other patterns of violations.
Responsibility Breakdown
• Ansar Allah (Houthi) group: 1,351 documented violations
• Internationally recognized government: 450 documented violations
• Southern Transitional Council forces: 415 documented violations
• Saudi/UAE-led coalition (including Saudi Guard forces): 98 documented violations
• Joint Forces: 72 documented violations
• U.S.-UK coalition: 7 documented violations
• Israeli forces: 6 documented violations
• Other parties (e.g., terrorist groups, Eritrean forces): 40 documented violations
Field and Legal Efforts
A field team comprising 59 researchers under Mwatana’s Research and Studies Unit conducted no fewer than 967 field visits to villages, neighborhoods, and districts across 16 Yemeni governorates.
The central team within the Research and Studies Unit conducted four field visits during the reporting period, including two visits to Hodeidah, coinciding with Israeli attacks on the Hodeidah port and power generation facilities in As-Salif, and two routine visits to Ibb and Aden governorates.
Field researchers, along with legal professionals, conducted 3,922 interviews throughout the year for monitoring, documenting, and legal follow-up purposes. These interviews involved survivors, victims’ families, friends, healthcare workers, first responders, and eyewitnesses. All interviews were conducted with full disclosure of the purpose of documentation and after obtaining informed consent from participants.
Between January 1 and November 30, 2024, Mwatana for Human Rights, through its Legal Support Unit and a field team of 22 lawyers (distributed across 16 Yemeni governorates), provided legal assistance and support to 1033 victims of arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture, and violations of procedural justice requirements.
Among its key efforts was offering legal support to victims of the mass arbitrary detention campaign launched by the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group in Sana’a and other areas under their control. This campaign targeted employees of international and non-international organizations, humanitarian workers, and human rights defenders starting in June 2024. Additionally, Mwatana provided legal assistance to victims of a widespread wave of arbitrary arrests carried out by the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group during Yemen’s celebrations of the 62nd anniversary of the September 26 Revolution. These arrests were triggered by individuals participating in or advocating for the commemoration of the revolution.
During the reporting period, the Legal Support Unit contributed to securing the release of 340 victims of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance. The unit also helped dozens of families discover the fate of their forcibly disappeared relatives and facilitated communication between dozens of detainees and their families.
Field and Legal Activities
For the purposes of monitoring and legal follow-up, the field team of the Legal Support Unit conducted no fewer than 2,881 field visits during the year. These visits included submitting numerous petitions to the relevant authorities across various regions and organizing meetings with officials from all parties to the conflict. These meetings encompassed interactions with detention center personnel, government officials, and provincial governors.
Additionally, the central team of the Legal Support Unit conducted several field visits to Sana’a, Aden, Shabwah, and Hadramawt governorates for verification and legal follow-up purposes.
In 2024, Mwatana for Human Rights produced a range of human rights publications, including reports, studies, briefings, statements, and other materials. Below is a summary of the most significant outputs:
1. Reports
1. The Legacy of Gunpowder Report: Released in 2024, this report addresses the state of human rights in Yemen during 2023.
2. Fields of Death Report: Published in 2024, this report highlights incidents involving anti-personnel and anti-vehicle mines, the legal implications of their use in armed conflict, and the various humanitarian consequences of such violations.
2. Studies and Research Papers
1. Study on Security and Justice Sector Reforms for Post-Conflict Transitional Justice in Yemen: This study analyzes the current institutional and legal environment of the security and justice sectors, identifying structural, legal, and procedural flaws that have contributed to human rights violations and perpetuated impunity since the outbreak of armed conflict in September 2014.
2. Enforced Disappearances: A Research Paper Addressing the Problem and Proposing Solutions: This paper examines violations associated with enforced disappearances over successive years and regimes in Yemen. It explores the potential for establishing truth commissions or other reparation mechanisms by drawing lessons from four case studies: Syria, Sri Lanka, Argentina, and Colombia.
3. Statements and Briefings
Between January and November 2024, Mwatana issued no fewer than 59 statements and briefings, including:
• 23 statements on the human rights situation in Yemen, addressing various developments.
• 4 statements accompanying the launch of specific Mwatana products.
• 4 joint statements with local and international partners.
• 4 briefings, including one by the organization’s Chairperson as part of the International Network on Explosive Weapons.
• 15 statements on the human rights situation in Palestine and international resolutions addressing the situation there.
4. Blogs
During the reporting period, Mwatana published 30 blogs, including:
• 11 blogs on enforced disappearances and arbitrary detention of civilians.
• 12 blogs on landmines and explosive remnants.
• 7 blogs covering the overall state of human rights in Yemen in 2024.
5. Articles
• Mwatana published 3 articles, including a key article on the professional use of the death penalty and two articles, in collaboration with the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, addressing the challenge of arms exports to Yemen.
6. Documentaries
In 2024, Mwatana produced 6 documentaries:
1. The Legacy of Gunpowder: Focused on the state of human rights in 2023, released alongside the annual report of the same name.
2. Death Traps: Highlighted landmine incidents and the suffering of victims.
3. Unsafe Havens: Examined the displacement crisis in Yemen and the hardships faced by internally displaced persons (IDPs).
4. Unknown Fate: Explored enforced disappearances in Yemen and the plight of victims.
5. Between Yemen and Rwanda: Compared Rwanda’s transitional justice experience with Yemen’s post-conflict justice requirements.
6. Return to Zero: Discussed the necessity of reparations and redress for victims of the Yemeni conflict.
7. Audio-Visual Content
1. Podcasts:
Mwatana produced 15 podcast episodes, including:
o 4 episodes on transitional justice and its core concepts.
o 3 episodes on Yemen’s displacement crisis.
o 8 episodes featuring interviews with Mwatana leadership, unit and department managers, discussing organizational mechanisms and functions.
2. Videos and Short Films:
Mwatana released 10 short videos and films covering diverse topics linked to its advocacy campaigns throughout the year.
8. Media Campaigns
Mwatana conducted 6 major advocacy campaigns in 2024, including:
• The “Ramadan With Their Families” campaign.
• A campaign on enforced disappearances, marking the International Day of the Disappeared.
• A campaign highlighting Mwatana’s legal support services.
• A campaign on landmine violations launched alongside the Fields of Death report.
These campaigns incorporated diverse audio-visual materials, written content (statements, blogs, etc.), and social media posts across Mwatana’s platforms.
Accessibility
All publications and outputs produced by the organization in 2024 were published in both Arabic and English on Mwatana’s official website.
To facilitate access to information about human rights violations in Yemen and other topics addressed by the organization, and to simplify research processes while ensuring real-time updates of various datasets, Mwatana for Human Rights worked throughout 2024 to launch three interactive maps. These maps are designed to provide researchers, journalists, and the public with accurate information in an intuitive and seamless manner:
1. Interactive Map of Human Rights Violations
This map offers accurate data on thousands of documented human rights violations. It includes search functionalities based on various inputs and outputs, such as patterns of violations, perpetrators, dates, locations, geographic regions, victim categories, and other data points.
2. Interactive Map of Landmines and Explosive Devices
This map illustrates the distribution of landmines, explosive devices, and other remnants of war as documented over the years. It aims to provide a visual representation of the landmine and explosive remnants issue in Yemen. The map reflects only the incidents documented by the organization’s team and does not claim to comprehensively cover all such occurrences.
3. Interactive Map of Migrant Routes
This map traces the routes taken by African migrants during their journey through Yemen, from their countries of origin to the Yemen-Saudi border. It highlights the extent and geography of these routes, shedding light on the hardships endured by African migrants during their transit through Yemen.
Purpose and Vision
By developing interactive maps, Mwatana for Human Rights seeks to leverage the advantages of this technology for presenting and updating information. The maps released thus far are only an introduction to using interactive mapping for topics requiring such tools.
These initiatives represent preliminary steps within the organization’s broader vision of digital transformation, digital governance, and the integration of artificial intelligence into its various activities.
In 2024, Mwatana for Human Rights continued its support for independent journalism by acting as an institutional mediator for the Khuyut media platform. This included overseeing the platform’s activities, working on its development, and providing training for its team.
In 2024, Mwatana for Human Rights embarked on a new journey of hope and effort by launching several new work streams to approach human rights issues from diverse perspectives. These initiatives aim to enhance the well-being of the Yemeni people and protect their rights and freedoms. Key new work streams include:
1. Transitional Justice Forum
On September 26, 2024, coinciding with the 62nd anniversary of the September 26 Revolution, Mwatana for Human Rights launched the Transitional Justice Forum. This open platform fosters active discussions among a wide network of local and international organizations and institutions working on transitional justice, alongside civil society organizations, activists, experts, victims, and stakeholders. The forum’s objectives include:
• Providing informed inputs for designing and planning transitional justice programs in Yemen.
• Developing shared visions among civil society institutions on transitional justice topics.
• Ensuring the effectiveness and success of transitional justice processes in post-conflict Yemen.
2. Mafatih Platform
On September 26, 2024, coinciding with the 62nd anniversary of the September 26 Revolution, Muwatana for Human Rights launched the "Mafatih" platform. This platform offers high-quality content on various topics related to Yemen through a series of podcasts, videos, and other multimedia formats. The platform’s debut featured a series of professional chat podcasts.
3. Khalasat Center
On September 26, 2024, Mwatana for Human Rights inaugurated the Khalasat Center for Research and Policy Studies. The center enriches research on political, economic, social, and cultural issues in Yemen and the Arab region. Its outputs include research papers, studies, scientific articles, and conferences, aiming to establish a renaissance grounded in methodical approaches to state and societal issues.
4. Hamlat Platform
On November 28, 2024, Mwatana for Human Rights launched the Hamlat platform. This independent platform addresses and monitors various human rights developments and issues at the local, regional, and international levels. It strives to provide objective and fair coverage of diverse human rights topics.
5. Sana’a–The Hague Declaration
On Friday, November 29, 2024, coinciding with the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Mwatana for Human Rights announced the Sana’a–The Hague Declaration during a high-level event in The Hague, Netherlands. The declaration includes a series of demands directed at:
• The international community.
• United Nations bodies, including the General Assembly, the Security Council, and the Human Rights Council.
• The International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.
These demands align with the mandates of these entities to protect human rights, preserve international peace and security, and promote accountability and international justice.
6. Document of Reunification and Building a Modern Yemeni State
On Saturday, November 30, 2024, coinciding with the 57th anniversary of Yemeni Independence Day, Mwatana for Human Rights issued the Document of “Reunification and Building a Modern Yemeni State”. This document outlines essential principles, parameters, and goals that should form the foundation and ultimate objectives of any efforts to rescue Yemen and its society from fragmentation, conflict, lawlessness, and injustice. It envisions a dignified future for all Yemenis, based on:
• Justice, protection of rights and freedoms, and the rule of law.
• Equal citizenship and the values of tolerance and coexistence.
• Transparency, reconciliation, fairness, and recognition of grievances and societal challenges, coupled with diagnosing and addressing them.
The year 2024 was filled with a variety of conferences and events through which Mwatana for Human Rights highlighted several critical issues. These events served as platforms for academics, experts, journalists, and activists from across Yemen’s governorates to meet, providing a safe space to discuss various dimensions of human rights, societal, and state-related issues in Yemen. Among the most notable events held during the year were:
1. The First General Meeting of Mwatana's Central and Field Teams
On Monday, January 8, 2024, Mwatana for Human Rights held its first-ever general meeting, bringing together its entire team, including central staff and field teams comprising lawyers, researchers, and activists operating across various governorates. This landmark event—the first of its kind since the organization's establishment—featured participation from activists and journalists, alongside numerous activities, speeches, and discussions.
2. Legacy of Gunpowder Conference
From September 11–12, 2024, Mwatana for Human Rights organized the Legacy of Gunpowder conference, focusing on the state of human rights in Yemen after a decade of armed conflict. The conference was held across multiple locations, including Mwatana’s headquarters in Sana’a and venues in Taiz, Aden, Shabwa, and Hadramawt. Over two days, the program included interventions from activists, academics, and journalists from various governorates, panel discussions, screenings of documentary films, the launch of an interactive human rights violations map, and numerous other activities and sessions.
3. Accountability Now: Together to End Impunity
On November 29, 2024, coinciding with the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Mwatana for Human Rights organized a high-level event in The Hague, Netherlands, titled Accountability Now: Together to End Impunity. The event featured several speeches, panel discussions, and two symbolic protests in front of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ). It also included a cultural program with musical performances from Yemen, Palestine, and Sudan. The event was broadcast live on Mwatana’s social media platforms and via Zoom.
4. Launch Event for the Document of Reunification and Building a Modern Yemeni State
On November 30, 2024, marking the 57th anniversary of Yemeni Independence Day, Mwatana for Human Rights hosted a high-level event at its headquarters in Sana’a to launch the Document of Reunification and Building a Modern Yemeni State. The event was attended in person by academics, journalists, and activists, with remote participation via Zoom from members of the Transitional Justice Forum and other experts across Yemen’s governorates. The program featured several discussions on the document and its implications, participants' aspirations, and a selection of national songs and anthems.
5. Other Events
In addition to the aforementioned events and conferences, Mwatana for Human Rights organized several other activities during the reporting period in 2024, many of which were conducted via Zoom. These included:
• The first consultative meeting of the Transitional Justice Forum members.
• The launch of a study titled Requirements for Institutional Reform in the Justice and Security Sector: Toward Transitional Justice in Post-Conflict Yemen.
• A session on enforced disappearances to mark the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances.
• Discussions on the situation in Palestine.
• An event addressing the issue of illegal arms trade.
In 2024, alongside its other activities, Mwatana for Human Rights focused on capacity building and various awareness-raising initiatives. Throughout the year, the organization held at least 12 focus group discussions addressing topics such as institutional reform, severe human rights violations and their penalties under Yemeni law, the role of civil society in combating impunity, the displacement crisis in Yemen and the conditions of displaced persons, as well as discussions on the Document of Reunification and Building a Modern Yemeni State and its adoption.
Additionally, Mwatana conducted at least 8 training workshops, two of which focused on monitoring and documentation mechanisms, advocacy, accountability, and other human rights-related topics aimed at building the capacity of civil society organizations and human rights defenders. Six of these workshops were dedicated to enhancing the skills of the organization’s central and field teams, covering subjects like monitoring and documentation, best practices for documenting violations, accountability-focused documentation, and other relevant topics. Furthermore, two intensive workshops were conducted for the Accountability and Redress Unit by international and regional experts, focusing on transitional justice and building criminal case files.
The organization also organized at least 6 awareness-raising sessions and community meetings on topics such as the state of human rights in Yemen and the requirements for transitional justice in the post-conflict phase.
Finally, Mwatana launched a fellowship and internal training program. The inaugural fellowship program spanned three months and involved two human rights defenders and two representatives of civil society organizations. Additionally, an internal training was conducted with students from the Central European University on submitting reports and shadow reports to UN special committees.
Through these capacity-building and awareness-raising activities, the organization directly targeted at least 359 individuals, including 166 women.
In 2024, Mwatana for Human Rights undertook several external advocacy missions aimed at highlighting the state of human rights in Yemen, the violations committed by parties to the conflict, and the severe humanitarian crisis affecting Yemenis. These missions called for support for peace efforts, transitional justice pathways, and accountability mechanisms in Yemen. Below are the key external advocacy missions carried out during the year:
1. Participation in a Strategic Meeting on Combating Impunity: Organized by the Center for Justice and Accountability (CJA), this meeting was held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, over three days in January 2024.
2. Engagement in Pre-Sessions on Yemen's Universal Periodic Review: Mwatana participated in preparatory sessions discussing Yemen’s Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in March 2024.
3. Extended Advocacy Mission by the Organization’s President: Mwatana’s Chairperson, Radhya Al-Mutawakel, embarked on a long advocacy mission to several European capitals and Turkey, attending high-level international conferences and events.
4. Extended Advocacy Mission by Senior Leadership: Radhya Al-Mutawakel, along with Vice Chairperson Abdulrasheed Al-Faqih and Programs Director Safia Al-Sayaghi, conducted an extended advocacy mission to multiple European capitals. The mission included participation in various international conferences and events.
Mwatana successfully implemented all project activities according to their planned schedules, maintaining high efficiency and quality. The organization submitted periodic reports on time and maintained effective communication with all its partners, both within Yemen and internationally.
In 2024, Mwatana underwent several routine and surprise evaluations and audits conducted by international and local auditing bodies, with some assessments still ongoing at the time of this briefing. Additionally, the organization continuously conducted internal reviews to audit financial operations, ensuring compliance with recognized accounting principles, as well as with the organization’s internal policies, regulations, and control systems.
Based on a series of evaluations, audits, comprehensive reviews of policies, regulations, procedures, governance components, and lessons learned from its rich professional experience—including challenges related to its previous Board of Trustees—Mwatana prepared a detailed institutional development plan at the start of 2024. Over the course of the year, the organization completed a strategic institutional development process that included the following:
• Development of a 2030 Strategic Plan.
• Formulation of governance and good management policies.
• Creation of a new foundational statute.
• Hosting multiple Board of Trustees meetings throughout 2024.
• Preparation of several operational guides for various units and departments.
To expand its operations and advocacy efforts, particularly in support of civilian victims in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories, as well as addressing human rights situations in Sudan and other conflict zones worldwide, Mwatana established an international office in The Hague. The office organized a parallel advocacy event in The Hague and Sana’a, which included the issuance of a declaration on accountability and ending impunity. The event featured protest stands and artistic performances in both cities.
In 2024, Mwatana for Human Rights undertook a comprehensive digital audit, review, and sanitization process. This initiative stemmed from its commitment to safeguarding victim and case data while ensuring the security of its devices, tools, and operational systems. Throughout this process, Mwatana adhered to strict policies and regulations that uphold the privacy of its employees while guaranteeing the safety and integrity of all digital operations.
Mwatana extends its heartfelt gratitude to all victims and their families for trusting the organization’s work. This gratitude extends to witnesses, informants, collaborators, and allies—individuals, entities, officials, actors, and influencers—across Yemen, as well as to supporters, allies, partners, and backers worldwide, for joining in the shared struggle to advance human rights in Yemen. Together, we have worked to expose and document violations, build memory, provide legal support, raise awareness, and build capacities. We have also pursued efforts to craft a national vision for transitional justice, reconciliation, and the foundations of an equitable state built on citizenship, the rule of law, justice, and equality, while strengthening the rights of women and marginalized and vulnerable groups.
Throughout the journey of work and hope aboard our shared vessel, Mwatana, we navigated the course of 2024 with unwavering dedication, giving our utmost effort throughout the year. Now, we are preparing for our ship’s journey to set sail with the dawn of the anticipated year 2025, armed with greater expertise, higher readiness, and the unwavering commitment of our entire team. Our ultimate goal remains steadfast: not merely to document and comment on human rights violations—important as that is—but to actively strive for change for individual victims, their families, and the broader state of human rights.
As we close 2024, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to Mwatana’s vision: striving for a world of rights and justice. We remain steadfast in our mission to "document, support, and influence," while upholding principles of governance, good management, institutional integrity, and a results-driven approach. We pledge to make 2025 another year of innovation, initiative, collaboration, networking, and transparency in advancing human rights.
We will persist in our work against all parties responsible for human rights violations, resisting every form of enticement, intimidation, and campaigns of incitement, false accusations, and defamation by the warring parties and their networks, both physical and digital.
