Human Rights Watch Urges Yemen To Allow Humanitarian Access

By Nykoel Dinardo
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

SAN'AA, Yemen - On November 19, Human Rights Watch (HRW) held a press conference to announce the release of their latest report  Their report, titled "Invisible Civilians: the Challenge of Humanitarian Access in Yemen's Forgotten War," addresses claims that Yemen severely restricts humanitarian access to Sad'a, Yemen's northernmost province.  According to HRW, the Yemeni government has been in conflict with a rebel group known as the Huthi rebels, named after their founder Hussain al-Huthi, since June of 2004.

The end of the fighting was declared in July 2008 by Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh.  However, the report claims over 60,000 persons had been displaced to the town of Sad'a, and as many as 70,000 others had been displaced to more remote areas of the province.  Furthermore, the report further claims that there has been an information blackout on the province.  According to HRW, no media personnel have been allowed into the area, and those who have tried to provide information on the conflict have been threatened and arrested.

The report states that the Yemeni government has been hindering the flow of humanitarian aid.  The Yemeni government's restrictions on entering and leaving the region have made it difficult to get proper aid to the people in the region who need the help.  Moreover, HRW claims that the rebels have failed to allow proper humanitarian access to the areas that remain under their control.

The failure to allow humanitarian access to areas affected by armed conflict violates international humanitarian law.   It also goes against basic principles of human rights law, which allows for the right of freedom of movement, including that of aid workers.  HRW's report claims that the Yemeni government's failures with regards to humanitarian access violate these principles and thus urges Yemen to change its policies.

HRW urges both the Yemeni government and the Huthi rebels to take steps to ensure that humanitarian access is allowed into the region.  In addition, the report also urges the UN to pressure the Yemeni government to respect their obligations under humanitarian law.  According to HRW, Yemen's failure to allow press into the region has diminished the global reaction to the conflict and to the need for humanitarian aid.

For more information, please see:

Human Rights Watch - Yemen: Protect Victims of Forgotten War - 19 November 2008

Human Rights Watch -  Invisible Civilians: the Challenge of Humanitarian Access in Yemen's Forgotten War - 19 November 2008

ReliefWeb - Invisible Civilians: the Challenge of Humanitarian Access in Yemen's Forgotten War - 19 November 2008

Yemen Online - The Challenge of Humanitarian Access in Yemen's Forgotten War - 19 November 2008