[15/01/2018 04:13]

ADEN-SABA
The Human Rights Information and Training Center (HRITC) has issued an appeal to the UN Secretary General to rescue villages in Yemen's central Taiz who have been undergoing "a genocidal campaign" at the hands of Houthis since 19 December.

In a press statement on Monday, the HRITCcalled AntónioGuterres and the whole international community to intervene "to rescue the villages of Haymah in Taiz" which the Iran-backed rebels have subjected to siege and relentless rocket shelling.

The clashes erupted between the villagers and the Houthis following the Houthi killing of the former president Ali Abdullah Saleh for defecting to the government's side.

"The militia is carrying out a massive campaign of sweeping citizens and putting them as human shields in the battle front lines. It shoots fire directly and deliberately at the rest of the civilians amid a painful local and international silence," said the statement of which Saba received a copy.

In a report published a few days ago about the Houthi human rights violations in Taiz during December alone, the HRITC said the militia killed 21 civilians and injured 38 others by sniper shootings. The report said that 346 families were forced to displacement.

The militia planted multiple networks of landmines in the roads, hills, entrances of villages and around farms in Taiz, said the report which bears the title "Civilians Awaiting Death."

The militia continues to rain down the villages with Katyucha rockets and tank shells from the hilltops surrounding Haymah villages, said the report.

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