Human Rights Group Warns of Worsening Crisis in Yemen

 Aden — Human Rights Foundation reported a sharp deterioration in humanitarian and human rights conditions in Yemen, warning that the country is grappling with one of the world’s most severe crises, with more than 22.3 million people in urgent need of assistance.

The group accused Iran-backed Houthi forces of targeting commercial vessels in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Bab al-Mandab Strait, including the Tihama tanker on August 11, which left crew members dead and injured. The Houthis have also been blamed for attacks on airports and oil facilities inside Saudi Arabia.

The report highlighted escalating abuses against aid workers, noting that the Houthis continue to detain at least 73 UN staff and dozens of civil society workers arbitrarily since May 2024, with cases of enforced disappearance. A World Food Programme employee died in custody in February 2025.

Journalists have also been targeted. In June 2026, reporter Mohammed Ayda was killed in Mukalla by a roadside bomb linked to Houthi elements, while journalist Salah al-Rouhani was abducted from his home in Sana’a in March.

The crackdown extended to civil protests. The foundation documented excessive force by Saudi-backed units against demonstrators supporting the Southern Transitional Council in Aden, Shabwa, and Hadramawt in February 2026, resulting in deaths, injuries, and mass arrests.

The findings underscore the deepening humanitarian catastrophe and the erosion of civil space in Yemen, as warring factions escalate attacks while millions face hunger, displacement, and insecurity.