In Cooperation with the Yemeni Center, Erada Organization Discusses Human Rights Developments in Yemen with the Permanent Mission of Switzerland

Geneva – Switzerland – September 22, 2026

The President of the Erada Organization for Combating Torture and Enforced Disappearance and President of the Yemeni Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violations and Torture met with a team from the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations and International Organizations in Geneva. The meeting took place in Room 4 – CONCORDIA, Building A, at the Palace of Nations (Palais des Nations), reviewing human rights updates as well as humanitarian and field developments in Yemen.

During the meeting, the Erada Organization, in cooperation with the Yemeni Center, provided a briefing on key violations monitored and documented, particularly those associated with the recent Houthi military escalation in Taiz and Hodeidah governorates, which resulted—according to the organization’s documentation—in civilian casualties (killed and wounded), cases of displacement and forced displacement, and damage to civilian property and infrastructure, in addition to the targeting of IDP camps in Marib governorate with ballistic missiles and drones.

The Erada Organization handed the Swiss Mission team three human rights reports containing the outcomes of monitoring and documentation work, testimonies, and information on grave violations committed by the Houthi militia, including arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture, forced displacement, child recruitment, landmine planting, house demolitions, and various other violations.

Furthermore, the Erada Organization, in cooperation with the Yemeni Center, discussed the situation of humanitarian workers, the ongoing abductions and restrictions imposed on the activities of humanitarian organizations and the delivery of aid to beneficiaries, as well as documented instances of looting and seizure of humanitarian aid.

The Erada Organization, in cooperation with the Yemeni Center, reviewed field developments in coastal areas, highlighting the expansion of Houthi control over parts of the coastal strip reaching the Dhubab area near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, along with documented violations accompanying military operations in the Mokha, Hays, and Al-Kadhah areas, including civilian casualties, violations against persons outside combat, the destruction of civilian property and facilities, and the forced displacement of residents from their areas.

The Erada Organization, in cooperation with the Yemeni Center, warned of the humanitarian and security ramifications of continued escalation, particularly in areas adjacent to the Bab al-Mandab Strait and international maritime sea lanes, and the potential risks to civilians, food security, and regional and international stability. It emphasized the importance of investigating violations, holding those responsible accountable, and ensuring the protection of civilians in accordance with international law.

The organization also reviewed its efforts in monitoring and documenting human rights violations and following up on the files of arbitrarily detained, abducted, and forcibly disappeared persons, as well as victims of torture, since the Houthis took control of the capital, Sana’a, on September 21, 2014, to this day.

It explained its ongoing work to trace the fate of the forcibly disappeared and those held in prisons and secret detention centers, gather and preserve evidence and testimonies, and prepare detailed files regarding violations and those responsible for them, supporting efforts toward legal accountability and combating impunity.

The Erada Organization, in cooperation with the Yemeni Center, affirmed that the continuation of the state of “no war, no peace” over recent years did not put an end to civilian suffering and violations, but rather granted the Houthis more time for military preparation, alongside the organization’s findings regarding attempts to impose sectarian changes and reshape the religious and sectarian identity of the population in areas under their control.

The organization, in cooperation with the Yemeni Center, stressed that any peace process must place victims’ rights at the top of its priorities, including the unconditional release of detainees and abductees, revealing the fate of the forcibly disappeared, ending child recruitment and landmine planting, guaranteeing victims’ rights to justice, fairness, and redress, and holding those responsible for human rights violations accountable.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Erada Organization confirmed its continued commitment, in cooperation with the Yemeni Center, to monitoring, documentation, and defending victims’ rights, and enhancing cooperation with United Nations mechanisms, diplomatic missions, and human rights organizations, thereby supporting efforts toward accountability, justice, and curbing impunity.

Issued by: The Yemeni Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violations and Torture “Will and Hope”

Wednesday, September 23, 2026 – Yemen