From Abduction to Organ Trade: Inside the Houthi’s Shadow Networks Targeting Children

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A chilling discovery in Yemen’s Ibb Governorate has laid bare a web of atrocities tied to Houthi militias, as the mutilated body of two-year-old Haitham Mokhtar Mohammed was found in Al-Udayn District. The toddler, missing for a week, was recovered with severe injuries—a crushed skull, severed hands, and a amputated foot—marking one of the most gruesome crimes in recent memory.

Local sources say the killing is linked to organized gangs operating under Houthi security cover, part of a broader pattern of kidnappings and human trafficking plaguing Houthi-controlled areas.

The murder coincides with a surge in child disappearances across Sana’a and Ibb, where families accuse Houthi authorities of extortion and deliberate negligence. Relatives report being forced to pay exorbitant sums to militia-linked police for “investigation costs,” only to face fabricated rescue scenarios or endless delays. “They profit from our desperation,” one mother told Khabar Agency, echoing widespread Houthi institutionalized corruption.

Security insiders reveal clandestine networks, supervised by Houthi intelligence figures, that target children for forced recruitment, street begging, or organ trafficking. Victims endure psychological manipulation to break resistance, with reports of children as young as five being sold to shadowy intermediaries.

Funding Terror Through Trauma

Analysts assert these crimes are not isolated but a revenue stream for Houthi military operations. “Trafficking networks bankroll their war machine,” said a Sana’a-based researcher, citing evidence of militia leaders overseeing smuggling routes. Despite mounting outcry from rights groups, Houthi officials enforce media blackouts and block independent inquiries, fueling suspicions of high-level complicity.

Global Silence, Local Suffering

Amid ongoing violations, local and international human rights organizations are increasingly demanding a transparent international investigation into human trafficking crimes in Houthi-controlled areas and accountability for those involved.

Rights activists are urging the international community to pressure the Houthis to halt these crimes targeting children and violating fundamental human rights standards. They warn that silence only emboldens the militia to perpetuate its atrocities unchecked.