Yemen condemns Houthi burning of dozens of homes in Hodeidah

The Yemeni government on Wednesday strongly condemned and denounced the burning of dozens of homes by the Houthi militia in several areas of the port city of Hodeidah.

Yemeni Information Minister Moammar Al-Eryani said the Iran-backed group set fire to more than 40 homes in the villages of Markouda — which also houses a displacement camp — Al-Shujaira and Al-Nakhilah in the south of Hodeidah, which is controlled by the Houthi.

“The destruction of civilians’ homes by the terrorist Houthi militia in the villages south of the city of Hodeidah is an extension of its crime of destroying thousands of homes of state leaders, sheikhs, politicians, media professionals and military personnel who reject its coup in the various governorates under its control, and forcibly displacing their families, in flagrant violation of international law,” Al-Eryani said in tweet.

1- We strongly condemn the crime of burning more than (40) houses of citizens in the villages of (Al-Taif, Markoudha, Al-Shujaira, Al-Nakhila) located southern of Hodeidah city. pic.twitter.com/hZf9b7clWa

— معمر الإرياني (@ERYANIM) January 5, 2022

3-We demand UN &UN mission to support Hodeidah Agreement UNMHA & human rights orgs to clearly &explicitly condemn this heinous terrorist crime. We call on intl community to designate Houthi militia as terrorist org, &prosecute its leaders in international courts as war criminals. pic.twitter.com/E5WwUnyF3K

— معمر الإرياني (@ERYANIM) January 5, 2022

Amsterdam-based human rights organization Rights Radar condemned the burning of the homes, saying Monday it amounted to a “humanitarian disaster that doubled the suffering of the people of those areas.”

It said fires destroyed 26 houses in the village of Taif, seven in Markouda, five in Al-Shujaira and four in Al-Nakhilah, most of which belonged to displaced citizens who had been fleeing the fighting since the conflict began in 2014.

Rights Radar also said local sources accused members of the Houthi militia of deliberately setting fire to the homes.

“We demand the United Nations and its mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement and human rights organizations clearly and explicitly condemn this heinous terrorist crime,” Al-Eryani said.

He also called on the international community to work on classifying the Houthi militia as a terrorist organization, and to prosecute its leaders in international courts as war criminals.