On December 28, 2024, a protest in the city of Hays, located in southern Al-Hodeidah governorate, called on the international community, particularly the United Nations Mission in Yemen (UNMHA), to pressure the Houthi movement to cease its attacks on civilians using artillery and drones.

Participants in the protest condemned the serious violations committed by the Houthis, who are internationally designated as a terrorist organization, against the residents of the coastal district of Al-Haymah in Al-Hodeidah and the district of Maqbana in western Taiz, according to the Yemeni news agency Saba.

Demonstrators raised banners asserting that the atrocities committed by the Houthis against civilians in Al-Haymah and Maqbana constitute crimes against humanity and complete war crimes that cannot be forgotten or forgiven.

The protesters also called on the United Nations to fulfill its responsibilities by condemning the ongoing crimes perpetrated by the Houthis against civilians and to take action to halt these violations that threaten local and regional peace and security.

In recent weeks, the southern districts of Al-Hodeidah and Maqbana have faced continuous Houthi attacks involving rockets and drones targeting populated areas, leading to numerous casualties, primarily among women and children.

For instance, on December 23, 2024, a child was killed and three others from the same family were injured when their home in the Al-Bumiyah village of Maqbana was struck by a mortar shell fired by the Houthis. Earlier in the same month, six civilians were killed and eight others injured in a drone attack on a busy market in the Al-Barashah area of Maqbana.