Section 11: Blocking Humanitarian Supplies

Mwatana documented 74 incidents of obstructing humanitarian access and humanitarian supplies in 2018. The armed group Ansar Allah (Houthis) were responsible for 62 of these incidents in the governorates of Al Mahwit, Sa’dah, Al Hudaydah, Dhamar, Ibb, Al Jawf, and Raymah. The “Popular Resistance” forces and forces loyal to President Hadi were responsible for 6 incidents in the governorates of Sa’dah and Hajjah, while the Saudi/UAE-led Coalition was responsible for 6 incidents in the governorates of Sa’dah and Hajjah.

Blocking, obstructing or impeding humanitarian aid or critical life-saving goods in Yemen has a particularly acute impact, given the millions of civilians already living under the threat of famine. Even before the conflict, Yemen was one of the poorest countries in the Middle East. By February 2019, an estimated 24 million Yemenis out of a total population of 29.9 million people require some form of humanitarian assistance. 11.3 million of these people are in acute need of humanitarian assistance to survive.[1]

Legal Framework

International humanitarian law requires that parties to a conflict allow and facilitate the rapid passage of humanitarian aid for civilians in need and not arbitrarily interfere with it, and ensure the freedom of movement of humanitarian workers, which can only be restricted temporarily for reasons of imperative military necessity.

International humanitarian law prohibits attacks on objects indispensable to the civilian population, such as food stores and drinking water installations, and prohibits using starvation as a method of warfare. Deliberately using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare by depriving them of objects indispensable to their survival or by impeding humanitarian aid is a war crime.

In 2018, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution addressing the threat of famine facing people experiencing armed conflict, emphasizing the dire need to break the vicious cycle between armed conflict and food insecurity, and noting the important role relief supplies can play in alleviating conflict’s effect.[2] That same year,  UN Security Council Resolution 2451, specifically focused on Yemen, reiterated the need for “the unhindered flow of commercial and humanitarian supplies and humanitarian personnel into and across the country” without hindrance. The Security Council called upon “the Government of Yemen and the Houthis to remove bureaucratic impediments to flows of commercial and humanitarian supplies, including fuel.”[3]

Case Studies

  • On Wednesday, 21 February 2018, at around 5 pm, Coalition aircraft bombed a relief organization truck in Al Aqlah area in Al Safra’a district of Sa’dah governorate.

The truck was carrying at least 400 bags of grain for beneficiaries in the governorate. The airstrike destroyed the truck and everything in it.[4]

  • On Monday, 5 March 2018, Ansar Allah (Houthis) stopped a local organization in Sa’dah governorate from implementing a cash assistance program for 3,000 displaced families.

Ansar Allah allegedly stopped the project claiming cash grant projects causes social problems.[5]

  • On Saturday, 14 July 2018, at around 11 pm, Ansar Allah (Houthis) blocked three trucks carrying relief supplies to go through a checkpoint in the Monday Market area in Al Matoun district.

The trucks were on their way to Al Hazm district, the capital of Al Jawf governorate. The trucks were carrying food supplies for 3,000 families who had been affected by the war.[6]

  • On Tuesday, 23 July 2018, at around 11 pm, Saudi/UAE-led Coalition aircraft bombed a water project four times in Wadi Al Nushur, Al Safra’a in Al Asayid area in Kitaf Wal Biqa’ district of Sa’dah governorate.

The water project, made up of a well, a storage tank, a solar power system, and water pumps and pipes, benefitted about 20 villages in the sub-district of Wadi Al Nushur. The project was important to the area due to the shortage of water, including drinking water.[7]The attack completely destroyed the control room of the water project, as well as the well, some solar panels and pipes.

  • On Monday, 25 September 2018, at around 10:20 am, in Al Mua’limin neighborhood in Al Qahirah district of Taizz governorate, members of the 22nd Mechanized Brigade carried out an armed attack on a team from an international organization.

The attack occurred while the team was distributing humanitarian assistance to beneficiaries. After the attack, the organization stopped its activities in the area. Five days later, it resumed its work at another site.[8]

[1] ReliefWeb, Media Advisory: High-Level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen, 15 February 2019, available at: https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/media-advisory-high-level-pledging-event-humanitarian-crisis-yemen-0

[2] UNSC Resolution 2417 (2018), which was adopted during 8267th meeting that was held on 24 May 2018. Available at: http://unscr.com/en/resolutions/doc/2417

[3] UNSC Resolution 2415 (2018), which was adopted during 8439th meeting that was held on 21 December 2018. Available at: http://unscr.com/en/resolutions/doc/2451

[4] Mwatana for Human Rights’ interview with eyewitnesses, 25 July 2018

[5] Mwatana for Human Rights’ interview with eyewitnesses, 29 March 2018

[6] Mwatana for Human Rights’ interview with eyewitnesses, 26 July 2018

[7] Mwatana for Human Rights’ interview with eyewitnesses, 26 July 2018

[8] Mwatana for Human Rights’ interview with eyewitnesses, 6 February 2019