Barran Press
More than 100 human rights organizations have issued a joint statement calling on the United Nations Security Council and the international community to take action against the ongoing systematic abuses and terror inflicted upon the Qifa and Rada'a regions in Yemen's Bayda governorate by the Iran-backed Houthi militia.
The statement, seen by Barran Press, condemns the Houthi group, internationally designated as a terrorist organization, for the "flagrant assault and brutal siege of the village of Hammat Srar in Rada'a, Bayda governorate." The organizations argue that this attack "underscores the Houthi's terrorist nature and their depraved behavior in tormenting and killing Yemenis."
The statement alleges that the Houthis have been besieging the village for three days, deploying tanks and armored vehicles, and surrounding the village's entrances and exits. They have also been flying drones over the village and detonating mosque minarets.
The organizations further detail that the Houthi militia killed a local resident, Saif Mardas Maqbel Ahmed Al-Sarari, aged 28, and another villager at a Houthi checkpoint at the village entrance. When the families of the victims demanded justice, the Houthis responded with suppression and intimidation.
The statement highlights that the Houthi group, since their coup, has escalated their crimes and violations against civilians in hundreds of villages and districts across Yemen under their control. These include killings, displacement, home demolitions, and other atrocities, all part of their attempt to break the will of the Yemeni people and subjugate them to their extremist agenda.
The organizations consider the continued firing of bullets and shells at civilians, targeting women, children, and populated areas, "a war crime and a flagrant violation of national and international laws and customs." They also see it as a blatant disregard for all international and regional initiatives aimed at establishing peace in Yemen.
The statement expresses deep disappointment at the silence of the international community and international organizations in the face of these violations, which they say threaten and undermine all efforts to achieve peace and end the war.
The statement demands that the Security Council and the international community "assume their responsibilities regarding the systematic and ongoing attacks and terrorism against women and children in Qifa and Rada'a, which confirm the Houthi's terrorist nature and their depraved behavior in tormenting and killing Yemenis."
They urge the international community to "take responsibility for these crimes and act decisively and seriously to deter the group." The statement also calls on local and international human rights bodies and organizations to pressure the Houthis to "stop their attacks on civilians, hold the killers and those involved from among the group's leaders accountable."
Local sources in Bayda governorate reported on Friday that the Houthis had deployed new reinforcements to the village of Hammat Srar in the district of Walad Rabea Qifa and surrounded it. Meanwhile, tribal mediation efforts are underway to de-escalate the situation.
The sources, speaking to Barran Press over the phone, said that the situation remains tense following two days of clashes between Houthi fighters and villagers. The villagers are reportedly entrenched in the outskirts of the village and on high ground.
According to the sources, the tribal mediation is still ongoing in the village, with the villagers refusing to comply with the Houthis' demands to hand over specific individuals from the Al-Sarar family, whom the Houthis claim are wanted.
The sources added that the villagers have agreed to hand over any prominent figures from the village as a gesture of goodwill, but insist on the withdrawal of the Houthi military force from the village and the prevention of their re-deployment there. The Houthis have been in control of the village since 2025.
Regarding the latest developments in the clashes, the sources reported that Houthi fighters attempted to enter the qat farms belonging to the Al-Sarar family on the outskirts of the village on Thursday night to vandalize them and destroy qat trees. However, they were met with resistance from villagers who prevented them from doing so.
On Wednesday, August 7, local sources in Bayda governorate reported clashes between residents of the Walad Rabea district and Houthi fighters, which resulted in the villagers taking control of a checkpoint and killing the Houthi fighters stationed there.
The sources told Barran Press that the clashes erupted in the village of Hammat Srar after the Houthis killed one villager and injured another at a checkpoint at the entrance of the village.
They explained that the Houthi fighters opened fire on the villager as he was riding his motorcycle, killing him instantly. Another villager who was with him was injured. This prompted the villagers to engage in clashes with the Houthis, during which they managed to kill two Houthi fighters and injure others.
Social media users circulated videos showing Houthi fighters surrounding the area, with villagers, including children and women, fleeing. Other footage showed a fire in the mosque's minaret.
Bayda governorate (central Yemen) has been witnessing frequent armed clashes between the Houthi group and the governorate's residents, who complain of increasing harassment and restrictions imposed by the group. These clashes often result in casualties on both sides, followed by the Houthis demolishing the homes of residents and tightening their security grip on the area.