The Houthi group, designated as a terrorist organization by several countries, closed down 10 pharmaceutical companies in the capital Sana'a on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. This action comes just days after they seized control of two major pharmaceutical companies, "Al-Alamia" and "Al-Dawaiya."

According to the Houthi-controlled Saba news agency, the group justified the closure by claiming the companies violated the drug pricing regulations set by their authority. They also threatened a second phase of closures targeting other companies.

On June 9, Houthi militants raided a factory belonging to the "Modern Pharmaceutical Company" and the "Al-Alamia Pharmaceutical Company" in Beit Adhran, Sana'a. They arrested six managers and employees, according to a statement by the SAM Organization for Rights and Freedoms.

In a statement reviewed by "Barran Press," SAM demanded the Houthis "remove their hands from the two companies, release their employees unconditionally, and stop the policy of oppression and harassment they have been practicing against the private sector for ten years."

The organization cited a source from the "Modern Pharmaceutical Company," stating that the company paid between $180,000 and $200,000 annually to the Houthis in taxes, zakat (religious tax), and a share for the judicial guardian.

The source also revealed that the Houthis forced the company to hand over profits for four shareholders in 2022, amounting to $240,000.