Sana’a – The General Authority for Antiquities and Museums, operating under the control of the Houthi militia in the occupied capital Sana’a, has acknowledged that Yemeni antiquities have been subjected to organized looting, destruction, and museum thefts marking the first such admission since the group seized control of the city.

In a statement published on its official Facebook page, the authority said the scale of violations targeting archaeological sites and museums places a heavy responsibility on official bodies, local and international organizations, as well as civil society groups, to safeguard Yemen’s cultural heritage. It warned that continued neglect of these risks would exacerbate the threats facing the antiquities sector.

The authority noted that it had received multiple reports in recent months of attacks on heritage sites and vandalism of museums. It explained that the surge in antiquities smuggling stems from several factors, including the absence of a clear national strategy to protect heritage, weak laws and related legislation, lax security measures, and the lack of specialized guards for archaeological sites and museums.