By Wesam Basindawa
Even as Donald Trump’s chaotic tariffs dominate the news headlines, we cannot forget that his administration is also conducting valuable work around the world. Despite the strange misstep on Signal, the US strikes on the Houthi militia are ongoing. This is vital for protecting the world from Houthi atrocities. 

When discussing Yemen and the Houthis, the focus in the UK, US and the rest of the West is focused on the brazen attacks on civilian international shipping. The disruption they have caused to global shipping is immense. Thousands of ships have rerouted away from the Suez Canal to avoid the indiscriminate attacks of the terror group. 

The Houthis are a terror group in the clearest sense. How else would you describe an organisation that fires missiles at civilians in Israel and civilian merchant vessels travelling in accordance with international law?

It is little wonder that the US and its allies decided to act against the Houthis. Reopening the vital shipping lane through the Red Sea is of great importance to the global economy. It also demonstrates that they are still committed to defending international law and free trade. Hear, hear. The Houthis cannot be allowed to continue their attempts to choke off shipping in the region. 

However, there is more to the story of the Houthis’ terror than just their attacks on Israel and international commerce. They are responsible for crimes against humanity carried out against ordinary Yemenis. The international community must wake up to the horrors exacted by them, away from the eyes of the international media. 

For example, in December last year, the militia abducted a pregnant mother and tortured her to death. Horrifyingly, her body was found two weeks after her disappearance dumped in the desert with her unborn child cut out of her body. 

My organisation, the Yemeni Coalition of Independent Women, has been tracking their criminal behaviour for years. In our most recent report, we have documented nearly 8,000 separate human rights violations against civilians in the last year that were carried out by Houthi militants. This includes more than 300 murders and almost 600 physical assaults against Yemenis. 

Worse still, in 2024 alone, at least 4,400 children were forcibly recruited at gunpoint by the Houthis to use in their campaign against the recognised government of Yemen. This is the sort of blatant breach of international law that should lead to well-publicised trials in the Hague. 

The Houthi militias, backed by the mullahs in Iran, make it incredibly difficult for observers to report on what is really happening on the ground. Those involved in our report were regularly threatened with kidnap and murder during their investigations.

They should be seen internationally as the pariahs that they are. Every part of their terror campaign breaks international law – on both sea and land. The continued silence of the international community emboldens the Houthis and exacerbates the suffering of victims in Yemen. 

The Houthis are breaking international law every day. From targeting women and children to torturing unlawful prisoners, there are no depths that they will not sink to. 

It is time for the international community to take real action against this group of criminals. They have been allowed to carry out their crimes against Yemenis and others for far too long. 

The Houthis must be forced to release their prisoners, to lay down their weapons and must be prosecuted to the full extent of international law for the atrocities that they have committed.