Barran Press
On January 1, 2025, Yemen's National Commission to Investigate Allegations of Human Rights Violations released its annual summary, monitored by Barran Press, revealing the persistence of human rights abuses in several provinces throughout 2024, despite a United Nations-brokered ceasefire announced in April 2022.
The report documents a total of 2,167 violations, resulting in 12,895 victims of all ages and genders. Among these, 564 incidents targeted civilians, leading to 657 casualties, including 214 deaths—27 of whom were children—and 433 injuries, with 74 children and 52 women among the wounded.
The commission highlighted that violations included indiscriminate shelling, violence linked to military operations, and the planting of landmines, which disproportionately affected women, children, and displaced persons. The report also mentioned arbitrary detentions, restrictions on civil space, and media freedoms.
In 2024, the commission completed investigations into the systematic use of landmines and improvised explosive devices, which caused 196 casualties, including 40 children and 11 women. Additionally, 624 cases of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances were documented.
The commission also investigated 19 incidents targeting cultural, historical, and religious sites, as well as attacks on medical staff and facilities. It reported 506 incidents of destruction of public and private property, 16 attacks on educational institutions, and the recruitment of 186 children under the age of 15.
Moreover, the commission completed investigations into the bombing of 14 homes, documenting 10,140 victims of forced displacement across 128 incidents. It also reported 81 extrajudicial killings and 24 civilian deaths resulting from U.S. drone strikes.
Throughout these investigations, the commission interviewed over 6,169 witnesses and examined more than 5,766 documents. They conducted 15 field visits to assess the situation in various provinces, including Ma’rib and Taiz and evaluated the conditions of 3,000 prisoners across 18 detention facilities.
In its ongoing efforts, the commission held 14 public hearings to address the severe impacts of human rights violations, particularly those related to landmine explosions, censorship, and gender-based abuses.
The commission called for all parties to engage constructively in peace-building efforts in Yemen, emphasizing that any lasting peace must address the needs of victims and uphold truth and justice. It also monitored recent military actions in Sana’a, Al-Hudaydah, and along the Red Sea, and noted the implications of U.S. sanctions against Houthi leaders implicated in human rights violations.
The National Commission serves as a national mechanism for monitoring and investigating human rights abuses in Yemen, established under Republican Decree No. 140 of 2012. In October 2024, the Human Rights Council unanimously adopted a resolution to continue supporting the commission in its investigative work.