Originally posted on The Middle East Monitor, March 11, 2021
A human rights organisation affiliated with the Yemeni Houthi group has reported that the movement is responsible for killing and wounding dozens of African migrants and refugees in a detention centre in Sana’a last Sunday.
This came in a statement issued by the Mwatana Organisation for Human Rights on Wednesday, of which Anadolu Agency obtained a copy.
The organisation stated that the Houthi group: “Caused dozens of deaths and injuries after a fatal fire broke out in a detention centre crowded with African migrants and refugees in Sana’a on 7 March.”
The organisation indicated that the Houthis: “Are detaining a number of wounded migrants and has prevented humanitarian aid and their family members from visiting them.”
The statement added: “In early March, a large number of migrants held in the Immigration, Passports and Nationality Authority Holding Facility on Khawlan Street in the capital, Sana’a (under the control of the Houthis) staged a hunger strike to protest against ill-treatment. On Sunday, 7 March, at around 1:00 pm (local time), armed men affiliated with the Houthi group tried to end the migrants’ strike by force.”
The Mwatana Organisation for Human Rights quoted eyewitnesses stating: “The Houthis closed the door of the ward and started throwing projectiles through the windows which caused a fire that spread quickly. The exact number of dead and wounded migrants has not been documented until now.”
On Tuesday evening, the head of the Ethiopian Oromia Media Network told the BBC that about 450 people died instantly due to firebombs that were thrown at them by the Houthi forces, while 63 people passed away after being transferred to hospitals, raising the total number of casualties to around 513 people.
On Tuesday, dozens of African refugees demonstrated for the second day in front of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Sana’a to condemn the incident.
While there was no comment from the Houthis on the matter, the Yemeni government demanded launching a transparent international investigation into the incident, reported Anadolu Agency.
Yemen is considered a destination for migrants from the countries of the Horn of Africa, especially Ethiopia and Somalia, as many of them aim to move from there on their arduous journey to the Gulf countries, specifically Saudi Arabia.
Yemen has been witnessing a war for nearly seven years, which has claimed the lives of more than 233,000 people, while 80 per cent of the population (around 30 million) depends on support and aid in the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations.
