الفران
we are now facing eviction from our home, as we are unable to pay the rent and have lost our only source of income with the arrest of our breadwinner.”...
The plight of Kamal Said (pseudonym, 40 years) and his family began with the outbreak of the first war in 2015. They found themselves trapped in their modest house located in the contact zone between the warring factions in the village of Al-Hood, which is part of Al-Madareen sub-district of Al-Selow district in the Taiz governorate.
The victim’s wife (33 years old) says:
“We used to live a simple life in our modest house, enjoying the warmth of family life in comfort and safety. However, everything changed when the war broke out in 2015. As our house was located in close proximity to the contact areas, it was bombed, and we were trapped inside for three days as the fighting intensified. Bullets even reached into the rooms of our house, and the sounds of explosions and shells were terrifying. We didn’t dare to leave.
As a result of the horror and fear we experienced, my 5-year-old son Mohammed developed diabetes. My husband was also arrested multiple times by internationally recognized government forces personnel while we were staying in our house in Al-Selow. After several efforts, he was eventually released. Faced with all of this, my husband, three children, and I had no choice but to leave the house and move to other areas, hoping to find safety and live in peace.
After being displaced from our home due to the war, we first settled in Demnat Khadir district. However, due to our poor financial conditions, we had to stay in a relative’s house in Al-Rahida city for over eight months. When my husband finally found a job, we were able to rent a modest house where we lived for nearly four years. This was a very difficult period for us, as my husband’s income was barely sufficient to cover the house rent and the expenses of treating our son Mohammed’s diabetes.
During our stay in Al-Rahida, my husband was once again arrested, but this time by the Ansar Allah group (Houthis) and detained for over three months. We secured his release after several people’s intervention, and we moved to the Al-Selow junction area.
About six months ago, in April 2021, my husband finally achieved his dream of opening his own bakery by renting a shop in the Daris market of the Al-Taiziyah district. He soon established another branch of his bakery in the Al-Khashba area of the same district, and our financial situation began to improve somewhat. However, this progress was short-lived as my husband was once again arrested by the Ansar Allah group (Houthis) for the third time.
On Friday, October 22, 2021, at around 7 pm, my husband was arrested by three individuals in civilian clothes while he was working at his bakery. They confiscated his cell phones and forcibly took him in a car to the Security and Intelligence Service building in Al-Saleh city. This happened in front of the other bakery workers, and my husband was not given a clear reason for his arrest.”
The wife adds:
“Since my husband’s arrest, our situation has been getting worse. My brother-in-law took over the bakery and refused to give us its proceeds, claiming that the bakery has debts. He also physically assaulted my 13-year-old son on one occasion. Adding to our troubles, we can no longer afford to buy my son Mohammed’s medications, and his condition has worsened. He is currently in the intensive care unit, and his treatment is being covered by charitable individuals. We have not informed his detained father about this, as we fear it would negatively affect his mental state.
To make matters worse, we are now facing eviction from our home, as we are unable to pay the rent and have lost our only source of income with the arrest of our breadwinner.”
