Sana’a — A newly released report by the Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms has documented 5,423 violations committed by the Houthi militias against Yemen’s health sector over a seven-year period, from 2017 to 2024. 

The findings shed light on the systematic targeting of medical infrastructure and personnel in areas under Houthi control, raising alarm among humanitarian organizations and international observers.

According to the report, the violations include direct killings and injuries of medical staff and paramedics, arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances of doctors and nurses, and field executions and physical assaults. The Houthis are also accused of closing hospitals and health centers, bombing and booby-trapping medical facilities, and targeting them with mortar shells, artillery, and Katyusha rockets.

In addition to physical attacks, the report highlights widespread looting of hospitals, seizure of medical aid, and black-market sales of essential medicines, depriving civilians of life-saving treatment. The network described these actions as part of a broader campaign to dismantle public services and suppress dissent in Houthi-held territories.

Human rights advocates warn that these violations have contributed to the collapse of Yemen’s already fragile healthcare system, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis and leaving millions without access to basic medical care. The report calls on international bodies, including the United Nations and the World Health Organization, to investigate the abuses and pressure the Houthis to cease their attacks on health infrastructure.

The Yemeni government has condemned the violations, describing them as war crimes and demanding accountability. Meanwhile, civil society groups continue to document abuses in hopes of building legal cases and securing justice for victims.