"Houthi Militia's Involvement in Child Abductions in Dhamar"

A surge in child abductions and disappearances has ignited panic in **Dhamar**, a city under Houthi militia control. Activists directly accuse Houthi security apparatuses of complicity and allege that senior figures within the group are linked to **human trafficking networks**. These operations involve organized gangs, including female operatives who lure victims .

#### **Key Incidents Exposing Systematic Abductions**

1. **Twin Sisters Abducted and Imprisoned in Underground Pit**

- A woman and her daughter recently lured two sisters into their home, restrained them, and hid them in a concealed pit. Relatives tracked the girls and rescued them under **shocking conditions**. Photos of the victims beside the pit circulated widely on social media, sparking public outrage and exposing what locals call a "**well-organized gang**" .

2. **New Disappearances Amid Security Inaction**

- **Tariq Bander Ali Ahmed Obaid** (aged 12) vanished on August 9, 2025, after leaving his home in Qahar Alley. His family reported the case to Houthi-controlled police, but no investigation followed.

- **Layla Salah Mohammed Saleh Al-Askari** (aged 13) disappeared from Al-Askari village nearly two weeks ago, last seen wearing a black abaya and red shirt. Her fate remains unknown .

3. **Foiled Abduction Attempts**

- On August 9, 2025, a woman and accomplices attempted to abduct a young girl. Her brother intervened and saved her. Security forces ignored the incident despite CCTV evidence .

#### **Houthi-Linked Abductions: Broader Patterns**

- **Targeting Families for Political Coercion**:

Houthi militias abducted **Sayed (16) and Ali (15)**, sons of detained teacher **Mohammed Hussein Ali Naji**, to pressure him into recording false "confessions" denying Houthi abuses. The boys were jailed alongside their father in Jahran Security Prison .

- **Nationwide Campaigns Against Dissent**:

Arbitrary arrests have escalated in Houthi-held areas like **Taiz** and **Ibb**, targeting educators, activists, and families. Teachers resisting Houthi-imposed curricula face kidnappings, home sieges, and threats .

- **Security Apparatus Complicity**:

Rights groups document collusion between Houthi officials and trafficking rings. Families reporting disappearances face extortion (e.g., demands for 700 Saudi Riyals) and deliberate police stalling. One father described a staged "recovery" of his child as unconvincing, suggesting official involvement .

#### **Houthi Responses: Silencing Victims and Stifling Justice**

- **Threats and Censorship**:

Families of detainees are forced into silence, threatened with withheld releases if they speak to media or share information online .

- **Systematic Cover-Ups**:

Rights defender **Moeen Al-Sayyadi** condemns Houthi authorities for "**obscuring cases**" and blocking court referrals to protect complicit security supervisors .

#### **Appeals for International Action**

- Local NGOs like **Masawa for Rights and Freedoms** demand unconditional release of abducted children and prosecution of perpetrators .

- Al-Sayyadi urges global bodies to intervene: "**Houthi complicity enables traffickers** targeting children and girls. Without pressure, networks will expand" .