Two children lost their lives and three other residents sustained injuries during a barrage of shelling in Yemen. The Yemen Network for Rights and Freedoms released a statement detailing the casualties following a wave of violence in the Taiz governorate.
The group documented 21 separate crimes and violations committed by the Houthis over a 24-hour period. Forces fired roughly 213 projectiles directly into residential neighbourhoods.
Among the wounded were two women who suffered various injuries from the shelling. Four additional residents were abducted by the group and taken to undisclosed locations.
The rights organisation also accused the Houthis of maintaining a strict siege on the area. The restrictions continue to block civilian movement and the delivery of essential supplies.
Fighters raided and looted three homes in the al-Hujariya area, located south of Taiz. Seven other houses suffered structural damage, with two of them completely destroyed during the operations.
The rights group called on the international community to take action to protect Taiz residents from repeated shelling and the ongoing siege. The organisation warned that local residents and health facilities are losing their ability to cope with the crisis.
The Houthis did not immediately issue a comment regarding the allegations. These developments coincide with a military escalation that began in July, marking the most extensive fighting since a relative calm followed a truce launched in April 2022.
Government forces have been conducting an offensive named Operation Dawn of Yemen since 5 October. Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi stated that the operation aims to regain control of state institutions from the Houthis and recapture the capital, Sanaa.
Yemen has been locked in conflict since the Houthis seized Sanaa and several other provinces in 2014. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in March 2015 to support the internationally recognized government.
The Houthis currently control much of northern and western Yemen. Government forces and their allies hold Aden and large parts of the southern and eastern provinces.
