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Yemen Human Rights Ministry Says 6,000 Captives Held by Coup Militias | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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A boy looks on as he sits next to a hut at a camp for people displaced by the war near Sanaa, Yemen April 24, 2017. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah


Yemen Human Rights Ministry Says 6,000 Captives Held by Coup Militias

by | Apr 25, 2017 | Middle East, Uncategorized |

Yemen Human Rights Ministry Says 6,000 Captives Held by Coup Militias

Taiz- Undersecretary of the Human Rights Ministry in Yemen, Nabil Majid revealed that the number of detainees coercively held by coup militias is currently around 6,000.

At least 73 of those incarcerated have died under torture according to the information the ministry received, Majid told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper.

“The militias did not only commit violations through the arrests and killings but have also recruited over 10,000 children into the war,” he said, adding that militias use civilians as human shields– such was the case in the coastal city of Mocha, west of Taiz.

Majid’s remarks came on the eve of meetings held for the financing of a humanitarian response plan in Yemen, scheduled to be held in Geneva on Tuesday.

The United Nations will hold a high-level conference in Geneva to raise funds to address the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. The conference is to be organized in cooperation with the governments of Switzerland and Sweden.

World Food Program “WFP looks forward to the conference, which will be held under the auspices of the United Nations and with the support of the Swedish and Swiss governments, to mobilize immediate support for Yemen,” said Stephen Anderson, WFP country director for Yemen.

Majid said that since the government headed by President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi returned to Aden, human rights ministry officials have been saving no effort in reaching out for Arab, regional and international action. These efforts will see tangible progress during upcoming periods, Majid added.

Regarding the pestering suffered by human rights teams, Majid said that the ministry is working to prevent coup militias from impeding humanitarian efforts in areas of conflict. He added that the ministry called on international organizations to be located nearby territory controlled by government forces, however, a number of teams insisted on staying in coup-run Sanaa.

The ministry is also working on establishing a center to reverse war-related mental health afflictions in women and children and rehabilitate children recruited by militias for fighting.

Yemen is reeling from the conflict between Houthi insurgents, aligned with Iran, against the constitutionally elected and internationally recognized government of Hadi. At least 10,000 people have been killed in the fighting.