38 Children Killed, 29 Injured, and 14 Abducted in Taiz Over Two Months: Human Rights Report Documents Houthi Violations Against Children
38 Children Killed, 29 Injured, and 14 Abducted in Taiz Over Two Months: Human Rights Report Documents Houthi Violations Against Children
The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms documented the killing of 38 children, including nine infants, the injury of 29 others, and the abduction and enforced disappearance of 14 children, as a result of violations committed by the Houthi group against civilians in Taiz Governorate between September 1 and October 29, 2026.
In its human rights report, released on Friday, October 30, under the title “Taiz: Between Killing and Siege,” the Network stated that children were among the groups most severely affected by indiscriminate shelling, direct sniper attacks, and landmine planting, in addition to physical assaults and violations involving abduction and recruitment.
The report explained that its field monitoring team documented injuries to 29 children as a result of attacks targeting residential neighborhoods and populated areas. It also recorded physical assaults against 37 children and the detention of 14 children as hostages to pressure their relatives into surrendering themselves.
The report noted that the military escalation and repeated shelling have had severe psychological effects on children, exposing them to constant fear and terror inside their homes and residential communities. These developments have also deprived hundreds of thousands of students of education following the closure of schools and universities.
The report further highlighted that the Houthi group stormed 23 schools and converted them into military barracks and command-and-control centers, putting the safety of students and teachers at risk. It also pointed to the consequences of the siege and shortages of food, medicine, and drinking water, including the obstruction of access to children's vaccines and essential medical supplies.
The Network warned that shortages of fuel, medicines, and oxygen threaten the continuity of healthcare services, particularly in neonatal intensive care units and critical care departments, amid the decline of immunization and nutrition services in dozens of health facilities and damage to hundreds of medical facilities across the governorate.
The report also confirmed an escalation in child recruitment and the deployment of children in combat operations, describing these practices as grave violations of children's rights and of international laws and conventions designed to protect children during armed conflicts.
The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms called on the international community and the United Nations to take urgent action to protect children in Taiz, halt attacks against civilians and educational and healthcare facilities, lift the siege, and ensure the delivery of food, medicine, water, and vaccines. It also called for accountability for those responsible for the violations and an end to the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict.
Source: Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms – Human Rights Report, “Taiz: Between Killing and Siege,” issued on October 30, 2026.
