The key facts

  • 51 dead and 85 wounded, including 43 children and 19 women, between November 1 and 12 in Taiz province
  • Three attacks on markets and a village accounted for 43 of the total deaths
  • The Houthis did not comment on the reported figures

Data from the human rights center

The Yemeni human rights organization Taiz Human Rights Center reported on Saturday, November 14, that it had documented the deaths of 51 civilians and the wounding of 85 people as a result of Houthi attacks in the southwestern province of Taiz between November 1 and 12. Among the dead were 13 children and three women; among the wounded were 30 children and 16 women — 43 children and 19 women in total were affected, as stated in the center's statement, which was cited by the Anadolu agency.

Nature of the attacks and the largest incidents

According to the center, the casualties resulted from attacks involving ballistic missiles, artillery shelling, sniper fire, gunfire, and mines. Three attacks were singled out — on the Al-Naj market in the Al-Misrah district, the village of Al-Asawir in the Haifan district, and the popular Al-Hadara market in the Al-Waziyah district — which together killed 43 people and left 30 wounded. The statement also mentions abductions of civilians, house searches, the destruction of some homes, and attacks on property, medical, and educational facilities. The Houthis did not provide prompt comment on the reported figures.

Context of the escalation

The reports come amid Operation Dawn of Yemen, launched on October 5: according to Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Presidential Council, its goal is to return state institutions from Houthi control and retake the capital, Sanaa. The Yemeni armed forces declared their intention to continue operations, taking measures to protect civilians and infrastructure. Fighting between government forces and the Houthis intensified in July, especially in the province of Taiz, which borders the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The escalation ended a period of relative calm that had lasted since April 2022 and, as Anadolu notes, worsened the humanitarian crisis in the country. Since 2015, Saudi Arabia has led a coalition in support of Yemen's internationally recognized government; the Houthis have controlled Sanaa and a number of other provinces since 2014.