Monthly Briefing / October – 2022

Political Scene

The International efforts failed to extend the humanitarian truce, which expired at the beginning of October 2022, as the Houthis rejected the UN proposal. Furthermore, The Houthis’ drone attack on the Dabba oil port in Hadhramaut was met with local and international condemnation, leading to the classification of the Houthis as a terrorist organization by the Yemeni government.

• United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the government and the Houthis to renew the armistice and to start a political process to end the conflict in the country. (October 1)

• The UN Special Envoy to Yemen announced the collapse of the efforts to extend the armistice after the Houthis’ rejecting to cooperate and to renew the armistice terms. (October 2)

• The Yemeni Minister of Information and the official spokesman for the government, Muammar Al-Eryani, said: “The Houthis received an amount of $1 billion in customs revenues in the port of Hodeidah since the start of the armistice.” (October 3)

Conditions of the Houthis to extend the armistice:

The government’s commitment to pay the salaries of employees and retirees, since 2016.

Providing guarantees that salaries will continue to be paid without interruption.

Paying the salaries of those listed in the Ministries of Defense and Interior [the current fighters in the Houthis group, the retired and the deceased during the war].

Adopting the old cash currency in exchanges.

Partial delivery of the revenues of the port of Hodeidah, without the handover of the resources obtained from the rest of the revenue authorities. (October 3)

• The proposals of the UN envoy to extend the armistice:

• Paying the salaries of public servants from the government’s budget in all regions.

• Opening specific roads [one main road and the rest are secondary] in the city of Taiz [besieged for eight years] and other governorates.

• Allowing additional destinations for commercial flights to and from Sana’a airport [which is under the Houthis’ control].

• Allowing oil tankers to enter the port of Hodeidah [which is under the Houthis’ control] without obstructions [that is, without inspection by the government].

• Strengthening de-escalation mechanisms through the Joint Military Coordination Committee.

• Commitment to the immediate release of all detainees by all parties.

• Initiation of negotiations for a ceasefire and the resumption of a comprehensive political and economic process. (October 3)

• The United States of America, the European Union and France expressed deep concern after the failure of the efforts to extend the armistice. (October 4)

• The UN Security Council Sanctions Committee included new military officials affiliated with the Houthis on the international sanctions list. (October 6)

• The National Defense Council classified the Houthis as a terrorist organization and vowed to take “strict measures against the entities and individuals who provide them with support and assistance.” (October 22)

• Regional and international condemnations of the attack launched by the Houthis on the Dabba oil port, considering it a “dangerous escalation and underestimation of the international efforts to extend the armistice and to achieve peace in Yemen.” (October 22)

• The United States of America has started laying off local employees at its embassy in Yemen, as part of its plans to reduce the number of employees working there. (October 23)

• Parliament Speaker Sultan Al-Barakani criticized the statement of the Gulf Cooperation Council, calling for a political solution to end the war in Yemen. (October 24)

Military Scene:

Preparations for war between the government and the Houthis after the Houthis’ recent attack on the oil ports in eastern Yemen. All led to the classification of the Houthis as a terrorist organization by the government. The country may witness a new round of war, especially if the recent efforts to extend the armistice fail.

• An explosion resulting from the failure of launching a ballistic missile by the Houthis, shook the northern neighborhoods of the city of Sana’a, causing various damages in those neighborhoods. (October 4)

• Delegations from Saudi Arabia and Houthis exchanged visits to verify and match the names of war prisoners on each side. (October 12)

• The American Analysis Center (ACLED) revealed that the confrontations between the Houthis and the Presidential Council, which continued throughout the truce period, led to the deaths of 450 people. (October 16)

• The Houthis carried out an attack on the Dabba oil terminal in Hadhramaut to prevent oil tankers from docking and to obstruct international navigation. (October 21)

Security Scene:

The areas under the Houthi’s control witnessed noticeable insecurity, including killings and assassinations. Military clashes were also seen between the Houthis and the tribes of Sana’a, Amran and Mahwit. In Taiz Governorate, the most prominent event was the discovery of a cell, with direct links to the Houthis, that was planting explosives inside the city.

• Unidentified gunmen assassinated Major General Dirham Noman al-Hakimi in Sana’a, as the city is witnessing security chaos with the spread of weapons and armed men. (October 16)

• The Police department in Taiz announced the arrest of two cells, with direct links to the Houthis, carrying out terrorist operations. (October 23)

Economic Scene:

• The Yemeni government stated that it had made major concessions to extend the UN armistice where the Houthis prevented its success. (October 3)

• A small government meeting was held in the temporary capital of Aden, headed by Dr. Moeen Abdul-Malik, with the participation of the Central Bank of Yemen, to discuss the proposed executive measures and potential risks in the economic and financial aspects and to implement the National Defense Council’s decision to classify the Houthis as a “terrorist organization”. (October 24)

Violation Scene:

• The Yemeni Landmine Monitor documented 273 civilian casualties due to mines and war projectiles, during the armistice period. They were distributed as follows: 81 males were killed, including 43 children and 5 women. 192 wounded, including 82 children and 13 women. (October 1)

• Yemeni human rights organizations called on the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) for an urgent international investigation into the causes and repercussions of the deaths of dozens of children suffering from leukemia, as they were given expired medications in a hospital in Sana’a. (October 14)

The Human Scene:

The situation of the abductees in prisons tops the list of demands of local and international organizations. Furthermore, the exchange of delegations between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis restored the discussion about the forgotten prisoners, especially those in the Central Security prison in Sana’a.

• On the International Day against the Death Penalty, The European Union’s delegation to Yemen called on the Houthis to stop the death sentences against four journalists in their custody. (October 11)

• The International Organization for Migration announced that 22 million Yemenis are in urgent need of access to health care, after the collapse of the Yemeni health system. (October 16)

• The International Committee of the Red Cross in Yemen revealed that 2 million children have been deprived of education due to the eight-year war, 8 million need support to continue their education, and 1 in 4 schools have been destroyed or used for non-educational purposes. (October 18)

• Abductees’ Mothers Association in Taiz demanded the release of 669 abductees in various prisons. They are as follows: (October 20)

• 526 by the Houthis, including 4 journalists.

• 18 by the government’s security services.

• 118 by the security belt of the Transitional Council in Aden.

• 7 by the joint forces on the West Coast.

Statistics 

The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms documented 5,119 violations committed by the Houthis, affecting the health sector, during the period from January 2018 to March 2022, and some of these violations were as follows: (10/10)

92 murders 

•  39 doctors.

•  24 nurses.

•  29 ambulance drivers.

        Killing methods

• 24 killed as a result of direct gunfire.

• 28 killed by planted landmines.

• 21 killed by a direct sniper.

• 17 killed by indiscriminate bombing of health centers and hospitals.

159 injured  

• • 52 doctors.

  • 49 nurses.

  • 56 ambulance drivers.

• 216 kidnappings (most of them while they were in hospitals, medical centers or private clinics).

• 39 cases of enforced disappearance.

2,069 cases of violations.

• 932 total cases of shutting down and storming of health centers, hospitals, private clinics and pharmacies.

• 429 total cases of partial destruction by indiscriminate bombing.

• 237 total cases of seizure and confiscation. 

• 136 total cases of destruction by missile shelling, artillery shells and tanks.

• 165 total cases of looting and plundering.

• 41 total cases of booby traps and explosions.

• 129 total cases of direct targeting of ambulances.