Monthly Briefing / July – 2021
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Politics
The Yemeni government voices a criticism against the Security Council’s decision to extend the UN Mission for another year in support of the Hudaydah Agreement, describing it as an ‘extension of failure’.
The US State Department’s 2021 Human Trafficking Report hails the role played by the Yemeni government and Yemeni military to limit children recruitment.
The same report accuses the al-Houthi Movement of giving children access to weapons and forcing them to engage in clashes and operate checkpoints.
The report adds that US President Joe Biden has agreed to partially lift the ban on Yemen to give room for peacekeeping operations and technical & military training, which will be done by sending select US military officials to oversee non-technical training.
US Position
US rhetoric grows noticeably sharper in tone against the al-Houthis, their attacks Marib, and their peace-dismissing, while reemphasizing that war must come to an end.
US State Department describes the attack on the “heavily populated” Marib as savage, adding that the continuing of such attack complicates the economic situation and doubles famine risks.
European Position
Noteworthy statements by the US, UK, and France Ambassadors to Yemen who expressed concerns with the provocative rhetoric of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), which threatens the unity and stability of Yemen.
KSA & Oman
In a joint statement, KSA & Oman stress their continued efforts to reach a comprehensive political resolution to the war in Yemen as Sultan Haitham bin Tarik’s visit to KSA concludes.
KSA increases its warning to the pro-UAE STC. KSA called on the government and the STC to respond immediately, defuse their rhetoric, and cease their unilateral decisions, stressing that the government must return.
UN
UN Secretary-General António Guterres officially appoints Hans Grundberg of Sweden as the new UN Special Envoy to Yemen in place of Martin Griffiths despite China’s attempts to block the resolution.
A UN delegation visits Marib. The delegation was composed of the Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen and head of the OCHA in Aden, head of the UNICEF’s Aden Office, and head of the OCHA’s office in Marib.
KSA & UAE
Unprecedently, KSA slams the UAE’s role in Yemen.
Reuters described some of the remarks made by KSA officials on the UAE’s role in Yemen as a rare occurrence that reflects the ongoing political and economic tensions between the two Gulf states.
Yemeni parliament member Ali al-M’amri calls on the internationally recognized Yemeni government to utilize the country’s resources and put an end to the UAE’s exploitation of its ports and oil and gas sectors.
Economics
Yemeni Riyal drops to an all-time low in the areas controlled by the internationally-recognized government at an exchange rate of 1000 YER per 1 USD while it remains relatively stable in al-Houthi-held areas at 600 YER per 1 USD.
Yemeni government unveils new measures to combat the sharp drop in the value of the national currency, urging KSA to urgently intervene in order to save the Yemeni Ryal and prevent a total economic collapse.
Military
Marib
National army shifts from a strategy of defense and fending off attacks to a more offensive one to achieve significant victories, most notable of which is seizing control of Rahba District in South Marib.
The al-Houthis failed to make any notable military progress in July despite their large repeated offensives that aimed to create an opening towards the center of the governorate.
Al-Bayda’
National army launches the operation, “Najm Thaqeb” (Soaring Star), aimed at liberating al-Bayda’ Governorate in early July.
Combined forces of the army and resistance manage to liberate the entirety of al-Zaher District in only three days as al-Houthis forces crumble.
A sudden retreat by the army and resistance in mid-July cost most of the areas regained during the operation.
Captain Hasan Fadel bin Sheikh Al-Slahi, an officer within the Al-Umalqa Brigades, cites the pro-UAE Security Belt Forces blocking military reinforcements to the resistance as the reason for their regress in al-Bayda’.
Sanaa
Towering Islamic scholar Mohammad bin Ismael al-Umrani passes away at 99 years of age. Umrani held the position of the Mufti of the Yemeni Republic for over two decades.
Al-Houthi Movements announces it has discharged 39 pro-government parliamentary members ahead of having them replaced with Huthi loyalists.
Violence escalates in Sanaa. Citizen “Abdul Wase’ al-Haddad” was shot by al-Houthi fighters at a police station in the “Jerm” Souq, located in Azlat al-Ahboub, al-Heima al-Dakhiliya District over a verbal dispute between Haddad’s wife and a pro-Houthi female supervisor.
Yemeni artist Shehab al-Sha’rani survives an attempt at his life by an armed man who fatally stabbed him in the neck with a dagger at his house’s door.
Al-Houthi Movement is gearing up to end the services of 160,000 employees who reached retirement, the widest decision of its kind in the history of the country, and replace them with al-Houthi loyalists.
Al-Jawf
Sub-Committee for Relief in al-Jawf Governorate accuses the OCHA and the UNCHR of delivering aids allotted especially for the governorate to the al-Houthis. The committee is demanding an international investigation over four main concerns (infographic):
Falsified statistics regarding the humanitarian station
Misguiding information (2,255,000 IDPs fled to al-Jawf from three different governorates)
Cash aids going out to active armed individuals
Politicized reports on the humanitarian situation in the governorate.
Belal Mansour, an official of the al-Islah Party, was assassinated by unknowns in the temporary capital Aden as he was leaving his house for work. Mansour’s assassination is one of over 200 successful assassinations since 2015.
Abyan
Government forces raid the police station of Ludar District in northern Abyan Governorate after the agreement between the discharged pro-STC security chief al-Khadr Hamsan and the newly appointed pro-government security chief Ja’far Al-Khal’ Al-Mu’in fell apart.
Three were killed and five were injured in clashes between the two sides. The city is ruled by an atmosphere of tension and mobilization as of the moment.
Shabwah
Shabwah Governor Mohammad Saleh bin Adyou receives the finalized schematics for the Qana Port project in Rdoun District, Shabwah Governorate.
West Coast (al-Makha)
Five killed and 20 injured, mostly civilians, in clashes between al-Umalqa forces and civilians inside al-Kharj Souq in the coastal city of al-Makha, which is under the control of pro-UAE forces. The clashes broke out after a woman was harassed at the market.
Umran
Al-Houthi Movement issues a resolution banning songs on social occasions. The decision was followed by wide campaigns in a number of governorates under the movement’s control.
Men in the military uniforms from al-Houthi Movement raid a wedding hall in Umran Governorate (northern Sanaa) and arrest the groom Mukhtar Isam al-Soudi for hosting artists and playing sings at his wedding ceremony. The raid was followed by the arrest of the journalist Fahd al-Sahfi the next day for publicizing the details of the incident.
Ibb
Al-Houthi Movement raids a wedding in al-Sha’r District, Ibb Governorate, following a decision to ban singing. The raiders destroyed the stereos and equipment as the groom is seeking the protection of tribal sheiks.
Al-Hudaydah
Fire razes over 30 houses at an IDPs camp in al-Drihmi District, al-Hudaydah Governorate in western Yemen.
Al-Mahwit
Mohammad Ali Al-Hrazi, Deputy head of Al-Houthi Movement in Al-Mawhit Governorate, shoots and kills his parents on his way back from a cultural class in Sanaa.
Violations
Three civilians were (Abdullah al-Absi, Hussein Ja’far, Hamada al-Qabti) killed by shrapnel from an artillery shell fired by the Al-Houthi Movement that targeted al-Shamsi al-Sharqi neighborhood, eastern Taizz.
Human Rights Watch: Al-Houthi authorities in Sanaa force Intisar Al-Hmadi (22-year-old woman), who has been detained for five months, to sign a document when she is blindfolded during interrogation. The movement promised the woman her freedom in exchange for seducing government officials through sex and drugs. The woman was threatened with a forced virginity test.
Association of Abductee’s Mothers: (infographic)
9 abductees died under torture at detention centers in 2020.
6 at al-Houthi prisons and 3 due to medical negligence while 5 died after they had been released.
638 arrests including 565 abductees by the al-Houthi Movement. Among them were 3 women and 17 children. While the STC’s Security Belt Forces arrested 32 detainees.
36 detainees at the internationally recognized government prisons in Marib and Taizz, in addition to five abductees by the Republican Guard on the west coast.
Physical torture
Al-Houthi Movement: 117 cases
Internationally recognized government: 18 cases
Security Belt forces in Aden: 14 cases
Humanitarian situation
UNICEF report (infographic)
Children of Yemen
1.71 million IDP children.
523,000 IDP children struggling to access education.
3,336 children were killed between 26 March 2015 and 28 February 2021.
360,000 children were recruited during wartime.
400,000 children under the age of five suffer severe malnutrition.
465 schools and educational facilities have been used for military purposes during wartime.
2,507 schools have been damaged, used as IDPs shelters, or taken over by armed groups.
2 million out-of-school children
4 million children under the risk of losing access to education.
10.2 million children need basic healthcare.
11.3 million children need humanitarian relief.
8.1 million children need urgent educational support.
72.5% of girls are marrying underage.
2.3 million children under the age of 5 (2 out of 5 children under the age of five) could potentially suffer severe malnutrition.
Yemen is a young-majority society: 4% of the total population is under the age of 14
