Monitoring Report
Yemeni civil society organizations have warned that continued Houthi attacks and threats are increasingly affecting international shipping, maritime corridors and vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, while raising concerns over the alleged exploitation of African migrants.
In a joint statement carried by the Yemen News Agency (Saba), the organizations condemned what they described as continuing attacks and threats against international shipping, warning against the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait becoming a permanent conflict zone.
The groups said the alleged attacks posed risks to regional and international peace and security as well as the global economy, and called for measures to protect maritime routes and prevent further escalation.
They also warned against external funding, arms supplies or other forms of support that could strengthen the militia’s military capabilities.
The organizations expressed particular concern over the alleged exploitation of the precarious humanitarian and legal situation of African migrants in Yemen.
According to the statement, migrants have allegedly been subjected to recruitment, exploitation and deployment to front lines. The organizations described the alleged recruitment and use of migrants as a serious violation of their rights and dignity and called for investigations, accountability and prosecution where appropriate.
They urged international migration organizations to strengthen protection for migrants and prevent recruitment, trafficking, exploitation and violence.
The groups also warned that political or international engagement with the militia that disregards alleged violations or separates political negotiations from victims’ rights, justice and accountability could, in their view, contribute to impunity.
The organizations called on the United Nations and the UN Security Council to take practical measures against the militia, including steps they said were necessary to protect civilians, stop child recruitment and migrant exploitation, prevent threats to international shipping and strengthen accountability mechanisms.
They further urged the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and other international bodies to intensify monitoring and documentation of alleged violations.
The organizations called for support to Yemen’s National Commission to Investigate Alleged Human Rights Violations to conduct professional investigations, preserve evidence and provide redress to victims.
They also urged international child protection and migration organizations to verify cases of alleged recruitment and exploitation and support demobilization, rehabilitation and reintegration programs.
Regarding maritime security, the groups called on states concerned with security in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait to take legal and diplomatic measures to safeguard shipping, deter attacks and investigate alleged financing and arms-supply networks linked to the militia’s operations.
