On Sunday, April 5, the Houthis shelled a women’s prison in the province of Taiz, killing six prisoners. According to the Yemeni officials, a further 15 have been injured including four children staying with their imprisoned mothers. The Houthis have not yet claimed the attack but the Prime Minister of Yemen, Adbulmalik Saeed, released a statement saying that there “was evidence of the Houthis’ aggression and massacres”.
The shelling came after an escalation of violence between the rebels and the internationally recognized government’s forces in recent weeks. Since January, more than 40.000 people have been displaced, adding to the 3.6 million who have already fled their homes. Since the beginning of the war, the Yemeni conflict has absorbed 100.000 lives, leaving “millions suffering from food and medical shortages”.
The International Committee of the Red Cross in Yemen has expressed condolences to the families of the victims and deplored the attack on Taiz Central Prison. Also, the United Nation Special Envoy to Yemen, which is engaging the parties in reaching an agreement on a ceasefire due to the coronavirus outbreak, has condemned the shelling that left women and children dead or injured. “Civilians and civilian objects including prisons must be protected as per international humanitarian law”, a statement by his Office said.
To know more, please read:
https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/04/1061182
Author: Silvia Luminati; Editor: Aleksandra Krol
