The Intisaf Organization for Women and Children's Rights has expressed deep concern over the continued violations against women and children in several southern and eastern Yemeni provinces under the control of the Saudi-Emirati coalition, warning of their serious humanitarian and legal consequences.
In a statement issued on Friday to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, the organization said the affected provinces have witnessed numerous violations in recent years, including civilian casualties among women and children, displacement, deprivation of basic services, and broader humanitarian and social repercussions documented by local and international rights organizations.
The organization pointed to the recent rape and killing of a child in the Al-Mamdara neighborhood of Sheikh Othman district in Aden, describing the incident as a grave crime committed against a defenseless child.
According to the statement, the incident reflects an alarming deterioration in security conditions and a breakdown of legal and social safeguards in southern Yemen, warning that residential areas have increasingly become unsafe environments for children amid inadequate responses from security and judicial authorities.
The statement also cited findings from human rights and humanitarian monitoring bodies, including reports issued by the United Nations and organizations working on civilian protection, which it said highlight the scale of suffering endured by civilians, particularly women and children, as a result of ongoing violations and insufficient protection mechanisms.
Intisaf stressed that such practices constitute violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, including the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols, as well as the Convention on the Rights of the Child, all of which emphasize the protection of civilians and the safeguarding of women and children from abuse and exploitation.
The organization called for the activation of international mechanisms aimed at protecting civilians, strengthening accountability measures, and ensuring that perpetrators of violations are brought to justice.
It also urged the international community, the United Nations, and relevant organizations to fulfill their legal and humanitarian responsibilities by working to halt violations against women and children in southern Yemen, provide protection for victims, and support relief, care, and protection programs.
Intisaf reaffirmed its commitment to continuing its monitoring and documentation efforts, collecting information related to victims, and cooperating with human rights and humanitarian organizations to promote justice, accountability, and civilian protection.
Human rights organizations have repeatedly raised concerns about the humanitarian situation in southern Yemen amid ongoing political instability, economic deterioration, and security challenges. Women and children remain among the most vulnerable groups affected by violence, displacement, and the collapse of essential public services in several Saudi-Emirati-controlled areas.
