Assassination, kidnapping, and targeting...an evil trio on a mission to intimidate international humanitarian work in Yemen
English - Sunday 03 September 2023 الساعة 09:28 am
Al-Mukalla, NewsYemen, exclusive:
The kidnapping of two Doctors Without Borders employees in Ma'rib Governorate, which is under the control of the Muslim Brotherhood, a few days ago, was condemned and denounced in light of the continuing violations against those working in the field of providing humanitarian aid in Yemen.
Doctors Without Borders said that, on Monday, August 28, it lost contact with two of its employees in Ma’rib, one of them German and the other Myanmar, without disclosing further details, out of concern for the safety of the abductees.
In March 2022, the same governorate witnessed the kidnapping of two employees of the same organization, holding Mexican and German nationalities, while they were passing on an international road linking Wadi Hadhramaut and Ma’rib. Security sources revealed, at the time, that Al-Qaeda was responsible for the kidnapping. They were released in September of the same year after reports that a ransom had been paid.
The recent period has witnessed a continuous escalation of targeting operations targeting workers in humanitarian and relief organizations in Yemen. Many of these crimes were concentrated in areas under the control of the Houthi militia - Iran's arm in Yemen, as well as areas under the control of the Muslim Brotherhood or that witness the presence of Al-Qaeda elements.
Repeated targeting
A relief newspaper on Facebook documented a number of attacks against employees of relief and international organizations during previous years:
- March 26, 2018 , Doctors Without Borders announced the suspension of its activities as a result of the escalation of security incidents and the direct attack on the organization in Al Dhalea Governorate.
- April 21, 2018 , Hanna Lahoud, an employee of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Taiz, was assassinated by unknown armed elements, and the perpetrators of this heinous crime were not brought to justice.
- December 22, 2019 , the headquarters of four organizations simultaneously in Al Dhalea Governorate: Oxfam, Mercy Corps, the International Rescue Committee, and the ACTED branch, were bombed by RPG shells by extremists following incitement about the humanitarian activities provided by those organizations for the benefit of those affected in the governorate.
-May 24, 2021, an Oxfam employee and a driver were seriously injured as a result of gunfire while they were passing through a checkpoint in southern Yemen.
-March 5, 2022, two MSF employees were kidnapped while traveling from Wadi Hadhramaut to Ma’rib. The two employees, a German and a Mexican national, were killed while on their way to the organization's hospital in Ma'rib. They were released in September of the same year.
- February 11, 2022 , five United Nations relief employees, including a foreigner: Akm Safi Al-An’am, Mazen Bawazir, Bakil Al-Mahdi, Muhammad Al-Maliki, and Khaled Mukhtar Sheikh, were subjected to a kidnapping incident in Abyan Governorate, and accusations were made against Al-Qaeda of being behind the operation. They were released in August 2023.
- July 21, 2023 , gunmen assassinated the head of the World Food Program office in Taiz, Muayad Hamidi, as he was leaving a restaurant in the city of Al-Turbah. The security and government authorities announced the arrest of the accused, but the litigation procedures and achieving justice are still slow to this day.
- August 28, 2023 , MSF announced the loss of contact with two MSF employees in Ma’rib Governorate.
A report issued by the United Nations OCHA said that during the year 2022, about 124 incidents of violence against relief employees and facilities were recorded, and these incidents resulted in the death of one person and the injury of four others, in addition to the kidnapping of 15, the detention of 13, and the confiscation of 34 cars belonging to relief organizations. .
Undermining humanitarian action
The Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, David Gresley, confirms that violence and threats against humanitarian workers undermine the delivery of aid, and put the lives of those most in need at risk, explaining that aid workers in Yemen deserve to be celebrated for their dedication to others.
He added that humanitarian workers work in a very difficult environment. They are often exposed to threats to their security and safety, even as they work every day to save lives and alleviate suffering, pointing out that relief workers are exposed to misleading and incitement campaigns, including false allegations that they are corrupting Yemeni values, including the morals of young women.
Such baseless allegations affect the safety and security of humanitarian workers and expose them to danger, especially Yemeni women working in the relief field, at a time when women and girls are suffering from increasing rates of violence and a decline in their rights in many parts of the world.
“Aid workers in Yemen continue to tirelessly carry out their mission,” says Mr. Gresley. “These dedicated and altruistic women and men continue to redouble their efforts every day, providing millions of people in need with food and cash assistance, health services, clean water, protection and education in Emergency cases."
He stressed that "we must all do everything we can to protect them and support their extremely important work."
Systematic intimidation
The bureaucratic restrictions and arbitrary actions taken by some Yemeni parties; A major obstacle to humanitarian work in Yemen with the beginning of the crisis in 2015. However, these violations were not the only ones that affected those working in this work, whether in UN or international organizations or agencies.
During the last period; The phenomenon of kidnapping and assassinations has increased, affecting humanitarian work to death. This prompted many relief and humanitarian organizations to reduce their activities and the movements of their employees, especially in areas controlled by the Houthi militias, which top the list of violators of humanitarian work, or areas that are mainly under the control of the Muslim Brotherhood organization.
The Houthi militias seek to target humanitarian work in order to achieve political and economic gains or direct donor funds and relief projects towards the militias’ military objectives. Kidnapping operations were launched by the Houthi militias in the year 2021, when two employees with the United Nations office were kidnapped in Sanaa, and their fate remained unknown until the militias admitted to being behind the kidnapping.
Humanitarian workers in UN and international organizations say that they have become afraid to move in the field, especially with foreign employees, for fear of being kidnapped, noting that various armed formations are now committing kidnapping operations in order to obtain money and ransoms.
Reports issued by the United Nations Emergency Relief Agency confirmed that humanitarian work faces many challenges, especially in the areas located in northern Yemen. In a clear reference to the Houthi-controlled areas.
UN reports indicated that the Houthi authorities impose enormous restrictions on the staff of the United Nations and international organizations. From obtaining visas and notices, restricting movements, manipulating beneficiary lists, and even directing humanitarian actions to serve its own agenda.
Houthi restrictions prompted UN and international organizations to reduce and suspend many relief projects and activities. This deprived millions of affected people of benefiting from these humanitarian projects. Despite UN and international reports on escalating violations and Houthi restrictions imposed on humanitarian work, the militias continue their recklessness and hostile approach against humanitarian work in areas under their control.
Relief sources in Sanaa said that the Houthi militias are launching major misinformation campaigns against workers in UN and international organizations. It promotes lies aimed at disrupting any relief and humanitarian efforts provided to citizens, explaining that these frantic campaigns have increased the risk of obstructing relief projects and exposing workers to the risk of targeting and kidnapping. Not to mention the constant harassment while in the field
