Geography under the Houthi Grip : A Report on Southern Marib Directorates (Stories of Suffering)

By Barran Press - Reporting Unit

Marib Governorate, situated approximately 100 kilometers east of the Yemeni capital Sana'a, has remained a crucial stronghold of the internationally recognized Yemeni government amidst the continuous efforts of the Houthi group, designated as a terrorist organization, to gain control over it.

Since the outbreak of the war in Yemen in September 2014, following the invasion of Sana'a by the Houthi group, they have persistently attempted to seize control of the strategic and oil-rich Marib Governorate. However, their endeavors have been in vain, as the governorate stands as the last bastion of the internationally recognized Yemeni government in the northern part of the country.

Despite their failures in capturing the governorate, the Houthi group managed to gain control over a few directorates on the outskirts of Marib. This achievement was only made possible by deceiving some of the residents, who are now enduring immense suffering and humiliation, according to complaints received by "Barran Press."

While the areas under the control of the internationally recognized Yemeni government in Marib witness unprecedented development and prosperity, serving as a shining example of a law-abiding state, the directorates under Houthi control are immersed in dire conditions. The residents of these directorates describe their lives as being akin to "prisoners in an open prison." The dreams of a promising future promised by the Houthi group have swiftly transformed into a reality of suffering, torment, and the erosion of their human dignity.

"Barran Press" presents a series of reports titled "Geography under the Houthi Grip" to shed light on the living conditions and experiences of the citizens residing in these Houthi-controlled directorates. The reports aim to expose the falsehood behind the group's deceptive slogans that misled some of the people into supporting their takeover.

This report delves into the harrowing experiences of civilians residing in the southern Marib directorates under Houthi control. It highlights the severe limitations on their movement and the humiliation they endure at exit and entry points. Residents vividly recount their tales of suffering, painting a grim picture of the situation. They reveal that only one crossing operates for a mere two days each week, strict measures are imposed on residents, essential food items are prohibited from entering liberated areas, and regulated markets are enforced.

Forced Markets and Exorbitant Prices

Residents disclose that Houthi authorities in the controlled directorates of southern Marib impose stringent procedures, which restrict citizens from leaving without prior permission and guarantees from local figures, ensuring their return within the permitted duration.

They further explain that any citizen wishing to travel to liberated areas must submit a departure request to the Houthi supervisor, along with a written guarantee of return signed by local social figures, and a commitment not to exceed the specified period. These requests, guarantees, and commitments are then forwarded to the Houthi leadership in Sana'a for approval. A military operations statement is consequently issued, which circulates among the directorate crossings, strictly prohibiting the exit or entry of any citizen without an operational statement.

Mohammed Saleh, a pseudonym for a resident of the southern Marib directorates, recounts the hardships they face due to movement restrictions. He shares how he submitted a departure request but did not receive approval until two days after the requested date. Saleh emphasizes that the real suffering and tragedy lie in situations where sick individuals require urgent medical treatment outside the area. Delays in approval often result in worsening health conditions and increased pain, as the Houthi authorities fail to provide adequate healthcare services, except for minimal first aid.

Two Days a Week

In their relentless efforts to tighten their grip on the southern Marib directorates, the Houthi authorities have imposed strict cross-border restrictions. They have limited the operation of checkpoints to only two days a week, with a few hours allocated for each day.

Residents inform "Barran Press" that due to the closure of the main "Marib-Al Bayda" road caused by the ongoing war, they are compelled to use rugged secondary roads to reach their areas and villages. However, the Houthi group has swiftly established security checkpoints along these routes and crossings.

The southern districts of Marib, including Rahba, Jabal Murad, Mahliyah, Al Abdiyah, and Al Jawbah, which fell under Houthi control in 2021, are connected to the city of Marib, the provincial capital, through a single road. The "Al Haree" crossing serves as the sole outlet for these districts, enabling access to the provincial capital.

Residents stress that the Houthi group has turned their lives into a living nightmare by implementing complex crossing procedures to and from Marib. They reveal that the group allows the opening of the "Al Haree" crossing exclusively on Saturdays and Mondays each week, and solely for a few hours during the day.

In their testimonies to "Barran Press," residents draw parallels between the Houthi procedures at the southern Marib crossings and the Israeli occupation's policies at the Rafah crossing. Similar to the Rafah crossing, entering or exiting the crossing necessitates obtaining a permit and an operational statement from the Houthi operations room in Sana'a.

A citizen, identified as Q.M., explains in an interview with "Barran Press" that obtaining the necessary permit and statement requires a lengthy approval process from Sana'a, which can take up to three weeks. The request must include personal details and contact information of the person seeking to cross, as well as a comprehensive list of the items they intend to carry.

Q.M. points out that on special occasions, the Houthi authorities refuse to grant any entry or exit permits, compelling citizens to remain at the crossing until the occasion concludes.

An elderly woman named Jumaa shares her experience with "Barran Press," revealing that she waited for three weeks for the Houthi group to approve her exit permit. However, after traveling for more than four hours from her area, the Houthis forced her to return because she had taken a washing machine with her. The Houthis prevented her from carrying the washing machine, citing its absence from the exit permit. Residents are required to submit a comprehensive list of all supplies and items they plan to carry upon departure.

Death Crossing

In a heart-wrenching account of Houthi-imposed restrictions and neglect, a young girl named Rahaf Abdullah Saleh from Al Jawbah district lost her life due to the group's refusal to allow her family to cross the Hura checkpoint and reach a hospital in Marib City. Despite desperate pleas and the mother's tears, Houthi elements at the checkpoint adamantly denied them passage. Rahaf tragically passed away in her father's arms, her life cut short by the group's inhumane policies

 Forced Markets and Exorbitant Prices

Residents of the southern directorates, who once enjoyed freedom of movement and dignity, now find themselves under a Houthi-imposed siege, enduring humiliation, degradation, and forced markets.

Those who spoke to "Barran Press" lament the Houthi ban on food items from liberated areas in Marib entering through the Hura crossing. The group confiscates these items, forcing residents to purchase them from Houthi-affiliated markets, such as Qania and Mahliyah markets, at exorbitant prices dictated by the group.

Essential commodities, including fuel and domestic gas, are among the daily necessities banned by the Houthi group from entering Marib. Despite the significant price difference between Marib and the Houthi-controlled markets, the group persists in enforcing these prohibitions. Residents face hefty fines if they attempt to smuggle these items.

For example, the Houthi group sells a 20-liter jerrycan of fuel for 9,500 old Yemeni riyals, equivalent to 68 Saudi riyals. The same quantity can be purchased in Marib and liberated areas for just 19 Saudi riyals.

Similarly, a gas cylinder is sold for 6,500 old Yemeni riyals in Houthi markets, equivalent to 19 Saudi riyals. However, residents in the directorates and liberated areas can obtain it for 12 Saudi riyals in the old currency.

Residents report that the price of flour in Houthi markets is outrageously high, reaching 121 Saudi riyals.

A citizen from the southern Marib directorates, identified as A.F., recounts paying 5,000 Saudi riyals to the Houthis at the checkpoint under the guise of fines and taxes on a quantity of domestic gas and cigarettes. He was forced to sign a pledge not to attempt smuggling these items again. A.F. also mentions that the Houthis have been holding a citizen's car for three months after confiscating it while carrying food items from Marib.

Residents further complain to "Barran Press" about the Houthi confiscation of money from citizens coming from government-controlled areas in Marib at the Hura crossing. The Houthis claim that the currency is the new issue in Marib's legitimate areas.

In addition to movement restrictions and soaring prices, residents of the southern Marib directorates face the devastating impact of salary cuts. The majority of residents in these directorates previously relied on salaries, but the Houthi group has severed their access to this essential source of income. This stands in stark contrast to the regular salary payments made to employees in liberated directorates by the provincial authorities.

Even those who base their livelihoods on local products, such as livestock and agricultural goods, are not spared from the group's oppressive measures. Residents reveal that their products are undervalued when sold in Houthi markets but overpriced when purchased. Moreover, transporting these products to Marib for a fair price incurs significant costs, with transportation fees exceeding 50,000 riyals per person, in addition to Houthi-imposed taxes.

In the wake of the Houthi group's tightening grip on power, residents in southern Yemen's directorates are being forced to abandon their homes, according to local accounts. The group's imposition of movement restrictions and the deteriorating economic conditions, which residents have described as "abysmal," have left many with no choice but to leave their homes permanently.

Demographic Shifts Underway

Residents have accused the Houthi group of deliberately implementing these measures and harassment tactics as part of a "systematic policy" aimed at "driving out" the local population and replacing them with families from the group's strongholds in Sa'ada, Hajjah, and Amran.

Despite the challenges, the original inhabitants remain steadfast in their attachment to their land and vow to resist the Houthi group's attempts to displace them. However, the scale of the displacement is staggering, with a semi-official statistic indicating that 95% of the residents of Al Jawbah directorate have left their homes following the Houthi takeover. Furthermore, approximately 80% of the directorate's homes have been invaded and controlled by the Houthi forces.

The demographic shift being engineered by the Houthi group has left the original inhabitants feeling like strangers in their own land, as the group has brought in families from its strongholds to settle in the looted homes.