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Starvation Stampede in Sanaa Proves Tragic Reality Imposed by Houthis

A picture distributed by the Houthis shows scattered clothes at the site of the stampede in Sanaa (AFP)
A picture distributed by the Houthis shows scattered clothes at the site of the stampede in Sanaa (AFP)
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Starvation Stampede in Sanaa Proves Tragic Reality Imposed by Houthis

A picture distributed by the Houthis shows scattered clothes at the site of the stampede in Sanaa (AFP)
A picture distributed by the Houthis shows scattered clothes at the site of the stampede in Sanaa (AFP)

Dozens of Yemeni families quietly mourned their children who died in the stampede that occurred in Sanaa days ago, as hundreds gathered at a school to receive cash assistance distributed by a commercial group.

Among them was Fatima, 60, who lost three of her sons, as they hoped to get some money to help their family celebrate Eid al-Fitr.

After approximately 85 people were killed and over 150 were injured while attempting to receive cash assistance of no more than $9, the mourning families opted to bury their loved ones without awaiting the results of the investigation pledged by Houthi authorities.

Instead, they agreed to receive a sum of $2,000 from zakat revenues as compensation for each family. Additionally, Sanaa’s Union of Chambers of Commerce resolved to award each family $5,000 as restitution for their losses.

Mohammed, Fatima’s neighbor, says that since the Houthi rebels cut off salaries for employees seven years ago, her deceased husband’s salary was lost. She was determined not to send her sons to fight with the Houthis, as joining their camps became the only way to obtain a monthly salary and monthly food rations.

According to Mohammed, Fatima has been struggling, selling handmade crafts, and making incense.

When she learned that the commercial group would distribute $9 to each person on that fateful night, she encouraged her three sons to attend to get a sum that would help cover the expenses of Eid al-Fitr, but she lost all three of her sons.

The Houthis tried to use the incident, which remains shrouded in doubt, as a pretext to attack the commercial group that was distributing aid funds. They stormed the group’s offices and arrested two of its owners.

However, the Yemeni people have held the Houthi group responsible for the country’s dire situation, which began with the coup, continued with the seizure of employees’ salaries and state revenues, and culminated in the imposition of multiple taxes and the doubling of zakat amounts.

The group has also siphoned off billions of riyals and allocated them to its leaders and supervisors.

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Arab World

Houthi Charges of Espionage: A Tool to Intimidate, Control the Population

Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
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Houthi Charges of Espionage: A Tool to Intimidate, Control the Population

Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)

The Houthi militia has recently released several individuals it had abducted for celebrating Yemen’s September Revolution. However, over the past few days, it has detained hundreds of residents in its stronghold of Saada, accusing them of espionage.

The campaign coincides with the airing of alleged confessions from a purported spy cell and the abduction of a former employee of the US Embassy in Yemen.

Local sources in Saada province, approximately 242 kilometers north of Sanaa, report that the Houthis have launched a widespread campaign of arrests targeting civilians. These individuals have been taken from their homes, workplaces, and businesses under allegations of collaborating with Western nations and Israel. Families of those detained have been warned to remain silent and refrain from discussing the arrests with the media or on social media platforms.

According to the sources, more than 300 individuals, including dozens of women, have been abducted across various districts in Saada. The arrests have also targeted relatives and associates of Othman Mujalli, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, who hails from the region.

The sources suggest that the Houthis are detaining women as hostages to pressure their relatives, who may either be out of the militia’s reach or living outside Houthi-controlled areas. They also appear to be using the women to coerce confessions from male relatives. Last month, the Houthis accused Hamid Mujalli, Othman Mujalli’s brother, of engaging in espionage for Arab and Western nations for nearly two decades.

In a separate incident, the Houthis abducted a former employee of the US Embassy in Sanaa from his home on Monday without providing any explanation for their actions.

Release of Detainees

The Houthis recently released Sheikh Amin Rajeh, a tribal leader from Ibb province, after detaining him for four months. Several other individuals were also freed, none of whom had been formally charged during their detention. Rajeh, a member of the General People’s Congress Party, was one of many political activists, students, workers, and public employees abducted in September for celebrating Yemen’s September 26, 1962, revolution.

One of the released individuals, a shop owner, told Asharq Al-Awsat that he was unaware of the reason for his detention. He had been abducted in November, two months after the Houthis initiated a crackdown on those commemorating the revolution.

Alleged Spy Cell

Houthi-controlled media recently broadcast confessions from what they claimed was a newly uncovered spy cell. The group linked the cell to its broader narrative of “promised conquest and sacred jihad” against the West and Israel.

According to Houthi security officials, the alleged spy cell was working to compile a “target database,” monitor sites linked to missile forces and drones, and track specific military and security locations. They also claimed the cell had been observing the residences and movements of Houthi leaders.

In response, the Houthis issued warnings to residents, forbidding them from discussing or sharing information about militia-controlled sites, facilities, or the whereabouts of their leaders.

The Houthis’ actions reflect mounting concerns over potential strikes targeting their senior leadership, similar to the recent attacks on Hezbollah figures in Lebanon. Those fears come amid ongoing tensions with Israel, the United States, and the United Kingdom, following the Houthis’ assaults on international shipping lanes in the Red Sea and missile attacks on Israel.