Houthi militia has allocated, within a week, about half a million dollars for a series of sectarian events in Sanaa and the other cities under their control celebrating the so-called "Day of Resilience," according to informed sources.
A source close to the group told Asharq Al-Awsat that the militias organized more than 180 political and mobilization events and forced officials managing the ministries and state institutions to organize events for millions of Yemeni riyals.
The militias also forced the residents of the areas under their control to attend and forcibly participate in the vigils and events.
The sources confirmed that only the group's followers and loyalists benefit from the funds allocated for the Houthi events. At the same time, millions of other Yemenis face the threat of starvation and the spread of deadly epidemics.
Before celebrating the so-called "Day of Resilience," the Houthi leaders held meetings with loyalists urging them to mobilize the population and organize events.
The celebrations come amid deteriorating and miserable economic, security, and living conditions in the country, angered the residents who expressed their discontent against the militias.
Mohammed A., a government employee in Sanaa, slammed the Houthi expenditure on sectarian events while disregarding interest in the suffering of the majority.
Mohammed told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Houthi extravagant events no longer surprise Yemenis in Sanaa, noting that all political and sectarian events are a gateway to plundering public and private funds.
Meanwhile, several international organizations, such as the UN, warn that famine may affect 20 million Yemenis due to the war and that Yemen is witnessing the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.
Yemeni human rights activists in Sanaa said various Houthi events such as the Day of Resilience, the anniversary of the coup, Martyr's Week, the Day of Wilayah, Ashura, the Prophet's birthday, and other occasions had become a nightmare for millions of Yemenis.
Political activists assert that the insurgents exploit these occasions to influence the Yemenis, hoping to attract more recruits and embrace their sectarian ideas.
According to informed sources in Sanaa, the Houthi militia held more than 700 sectarian events on the anniversary of the Birth of the Prophet, allocating more than YR65 billion.
