Monthly Briefing/ September– 2025

Military operations escalated amid Houthi attacks on Israel and Israeli retaliatory strikes on ports and locations in Yemen, reflecting the regional expansion of the conflict. Local clashes also continued in Taiz and Hodeida, signaling a potential return to armed confrontations.

• September 12: The Houthis reported 211 casualties (killed and injured) from Israeli strikes on Sana’a and Al-Jawf, including 36 children and 40 women. Civil defense teams continued to search for victims under the rubble.
• September 16: Israeli fighter jets bombed Hodeida Port in western Yemen, targeting piers and infrastructure used by the Houthis. The operation aimed to disrupt port rehabilitation after a formal warning.
• September 24: A Houthi drone struck a hotel in the Israeli city of Eilat, injuring 20 people, including 2 critically. It was the second attack on Israel by the group within 24 hours, after Israeli air defenses failed to intercept the drone.
• September 25: The Israeli military launched massive air strikes on Sana’a in response to Houthi attacks on Eilat, targeting their General Staff HQ, intelligence services, military camps and residential neighborhoods. Over 20 jets and 65 missiles were used, with Israel announcing potential escalation.
• September 25: The Houthi Ministry of Health reported 8 dead and 142 injured from Israeli strikes on Sana’a, which hit security sites, residential areas and the Dhahban power station.

September 28: Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that a tanker, carrying liquefied petroleum gas, was attacked by an Israeli drone near Ras Issa Port exited Yemeni waters safely. All 27 crew members, including 24 Pakistanis, survived. Diplomatic efforts secured their release after temporary detention by the Houthis.

Security forces have intensified efforts in Taiz and Al-Mahrah to track down wanted individuals and curb criminal activity, as Houthi violations — including the abduction of civilians and harassment of activists — persist, reflecting the fragile state of internal security.

• September 4: Yemen’s Ministry of Interior foiled an attempt to establish the country’s first integrated drug production facility in Al-Mahrah, seizing a fully equipped lab and arresting six suspects linked to Houthi and Arab criminal networks. The operation was a preemptive raid coordinated between judicial and security forces.
• September 11: The U.S. Department of the Treasury imposed its largest sanctions package against the Houthi group, targeting 32 individuals, entities and 4 ships. The sanctions aim to disrupt global networks funding arms smuggling and Houthi operations, in response to the group’s threat to international maritime security and U.S. interests.
• September 16: The UK Royal Navy issued a warning to commercial vessels of high risks when accessing ports in the southern Red Sea, citing past threats and collateral damage. Ships were urged to exercise extreme caution and assess the viability of navigation near Houthi-controlled Hodeida.
• September 18: In Taiz, Aftihan Al-Mashhari, the director of the Cleaning and Improvement Fund, was assassinated by an armed gunman during a field inspection in the city. Also, the murder of a senior female official sparked widespread shock and condemnation from civil society and activists.
• September 26: The joint security campaign in Taiz announced the arrest of 31 suspects in various criminal cases, including six, who were involved in the assassination of Aftihan Al-Mashhari. A seventh suspect was killed during the pursuit.                                                                                                                      
• September 26: Prominent tribal leader Sheikh Mahdi Al-Aqrabi, chief of the Bair Ahmed tribes in Aden, was assassinated by unknown gunmen after leaving Friday prayers in the Bair Fadl area. He died from his injuries.
• September 29: The UK Maritime Trade Operations reported that a commercial ship was hit by an unidentified projectile 128 miles southeast of Aden, causing a fire onboard. Nearby vessels reported seeing smoke and water spray. Authorities in Aden launched an investigation amid growing fears of Houthi attacks threatening international shipping lanes.

Yemen’s economy continues to face severe challenges amid rising food prices and worsening food insecurity. While Saudi support offers a financial lifeline, international sanctions and ongoing instability are hindering economic reforms.

• September 5: An international report warned that households in Houthi-controlled areas face severe food insecurity, with food prices 205% higher than global averages. Over 15 million people are at risk of hunger, and 66% of families consume inadequate diets due to limited aid and the impact of international sanctions on prices and purchasing power.
• September 21: The legitimate government of Yemen welcomed new Saudi support for the economy worth 1,380,250,000 Saudi Riyals, delivered through the Saudi Program for Development and Reconstruction. They described it as a major boost to financial stability and reform efforts.

Human rights violations by the Houthis have escalated, especially following the celebrations of the September 26 Revolution, amid systematic campaigns of abduction and repression against civilians and journalists. These actions threaten freedoms, hinder humanitarian work and have prompted calls for international intervention.

• September 8: The Yemeni Journalists Syndicate renewed its call to release nine journalists, who had been detained by the Houthis for years, and another held by the Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces in Aden. It held the Houthis responsible for torture and forced disappearances, citing the cases of Mohammed Al-Miyahi, imprisoned for over a year, and Nasih Shaker, missing in Aden, reaffirming journalists’ right to a safe working environment.
• September 12: The Yemeni Journalists Syndicate condemned the Israeli attack on the 26 September newspaper headquarters in Sana’a, which killed 10 journalists and injured others, describing it as a war crime and urging international organizations to protect media employees.
• September 14: The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms and the Association Ma’ona for Human Rights and Immigration documented 21,342 violations committed by the Houthis against children between January 2015 and July 2025, including murders, injuries, abductions, recruitment, deprivation of education and forcing children into labor.
• September 23: The organization Journalists Without Chains documented 312 violations by the Houthis in nine governorates during July and August 2025. These included killings, abductions, torture, raids, looting, family displacement, village sieges and arson — describing them as widespread, systematic and amounting to war crimes.
• September 23: The Houthis vowed to continue their campaign against those celebrating the September Revolution, labeling them as “enemies implementing malicious plots.” At the same time, they abducted citizens and activists in several governorates to prevent any public celebrations.
• September 25: The Houthis abducted lawyer and legal advisor Abdulmajid Sabra from his office in Sana’a after he criticized their ban on celebrating the revolution. His belongings were confiscated. The American Center for Justice condemned the act, holding the Houthis responsible and calling for his release and international protection for his rights.
• September 25: The Houthis launched another wave of abductions in Ibb Governorate, detaining seven people including a lawyer, teacher, and activists ahead of the September Revolution anniversary. The Rasd Organization documented over 2,200 violations and crimes against civilians since 2014.
• September 27: The National Authority for Prisoners and Detainees condemned the abduction of 141 people by the Houthis, including activists and journalists, during the September 26 celebrations, calling them crimes against humanity. The authority urged the UN envoy and the Red Cross to intervene and warned that such violations undermine peace efforts.
• September 28: The Houthis abducted dozens of citizens in Al-Bayda Governorate, including children, during the September Revolution celebrations, after raiding villages in Al-Sawadiyah and Radman Al-Awad.
• September 28: Throughout September, the Houthis carried out widespread summons and abductions in Sana’a and several governorates, targeting hundreds of civilians, including children, merely on suspicion of celebrating the revolution.
• September 27: In Aden, a security force stormed the headquarters of Aden Al-Ghad newspaper, forcibly shut it down and detained Editor-in-Chief Fathi bin Lazraq before later releasing him — reflecting the deteriorating press freedom environment in the city.

The humanitarian crisis in Yemen continues to worsen amid the spread of cholera, rising food insecurity, and restrictions the Houthis have imposed on international organizations operating in their territories. Meanwhile, irregular migration into and out of Yemen is increasing, adding new challenges amid a severe collapse of basic services.

• September 11: The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported the arrival of 6,985 African migrants to Yemen in August 2025, mostly Ethiopians (99%), including 72% men and 20% children. Most traveled from Somalia to the coasts of Abyan and Shabwa, while 831 Ethiopian migrants left Yemen for Djibouti and Oman, amid ongoing security and humanitarian risks.
• September 16: The Yemeni Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the UN decision to relocate the Resident Coordinator’s office from Sana’a to Aden as well as encouraged UN agencies to move their representatives to ensure continued aid delivery.
• September 24: The World Food Programme (WFP) suspended operations in Houthi-controlled areas after the group detained 22 UN employees, including 15 WFP staff, since 31 August. The total number of UN personnel held by the Houthis reached 44, prompting calls for their release.

September 27: The World Health Organization (WHO) reported a cholera outbreak in Yemen, with 72,260 new cases and 201 deaths between January 2025 and August 2025, ranking Yemen third, globally, after Afghanistan and South Sudan. In August, there were 10,848 cases and 34 deaths. Globally, the WHO recorded 462,890 cases and 5,869 deaths across 32 countries.

• September 16: Riyadh hosted the Yemen Maritime Security Conference with participation from over 40 countries, launching a Saudi-British partnership to strengthen Yemen’s Coast Guard, safeguard maritime routes and combat smuggling and piracy. The conference forms part of a 10-year international strategy to develop Yemen’s naval forces and enhance maritime border monitoring.
• September 23: An analytical database, containing the top 2% of scientists worldwide for 2025, listed more than 20 Yemeni researchers and academics. They are mainly from Taiz University, as well as Sana’a, Dhamar, Aden, Ibb, Hodeida and Saada Universities, in recognition of their scientific activity and citation records.