The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms documented 661 crimes and violations that it said the Houthi group committed against civilians in Taiz governorate between 3 and 15 September 2026, amid a military escalation affecting residential areas, roads, buildings and service facilities.
In a human rights report, the network said the documented violations included killings, injuries, field executions and shelling of civilian objects, as well as abductions, arrests, house raids, property destruction and attacks on vital facilities and infrastructure. According to the network’s field monitoring team, the escalation during the reporting period killed 51 civilians and injured 62 others, most of them women and children.
Causes of casualties and execution of nine servicemen
The report attributed the casualties to sniper fire, artillery shelling, mortar rounds, drones and ballistic missiles. It also accused the Houthi group of executing nine servicemen in the field in front of their children in the districts of Al-Wazi'iyah, Maqbanah and Al-Kadah, listing the incidents among the violations that the network’s team said it documented during the latest escalation in the governorate.
Regarding violations linked to personal freedom and homes, the network recorded 167 cases of abduction and arrest, saying most took place in districts under the group’s control. The report also documented raids on 213 homes in the districts of Al-Wazi'iyah, Maqbanah and Al-Kadah, in addition to partial or total damage to 87 homes.
According to the report, the damage extended to religious, health and service facilities. The network documented attacks on five mosques, six health facilities and 16 electricity stations and generators, as well as nine telecommunications networks and stations.
The list of damaged facilities included two bridges and two main roads, including the Hijea al-Abd road linking Taiz to Aden, as well as 34 civilian vehicles. The network said that attacks on roads, transport, electricity networks and telecommunications networks restricted residents’ ability to move and access food, water and healthcare.
The report said the figures represented incidents that the field team had been able to document, rather than a final tally of all violations, given the difficulty of reaching some areas, the continuation of military operations and the close timing of the documented incidents.
Displacement and shortages of food, water and medicines
The network said the escalation had displaced thousands of families from various parts of Taiz, amid shortages of food, water and medicines and a decline in basic services, particularly electricity and water. It added that damage to infrastructure and civilian facilities had made it more difficult for residents and displaced families to obtain their daily necessities.
The report said the water crisis had worsened in the Al-Qahirah, Al-Mudhaffar and Salh districts inside Taiz city. It noted that key water sources, including wells in the areas of Al-Hawjalah, Al-Hawban and Al-Dhubab, were located outside the city in areas under the control of the Houthi group, affecting residents’ regular access to them.
Worsening water crisis in Taiz city and its water-isolated districts
Separately, the monitoring team said it had documented recruitment operations targeting Yemeni children, refugees and African migrants. The report accused the group of luring or forcing some of them to join its ranks and sending them to various front lines in Taiz governorate.
The network said that recruiting children and exploiting refugees and migrants in combat activities violated international rules on the protection of children and civilians, exposing groups it described as vulnerable to direct risks to their lives and safety.
The network warned that continued escalation would increase the risks facing civilians, deepen the humanitarian crisis and threaten what remained of vital infrastructure and services. It called on the international community and human rights organisations to act to protect civilians, document violations and press for an end to attacks on residents and civilian objects.
The network also called for humanitarian aid and basic services to reach affected and displaced people, amid declining water and electricity supplies and difficulties travelling to and accessing health facilities during the escalation.
