Amnesty accuses Yemen resistance of attacking hospitals

Amnesty International has accused the anti-Houthi forces in Taiz of attacking hospitals and medical staff.

During Amnesty’s visit to the besieged city last month they interviewed 15 doctors who all said that they had been subjected to intimidation by anti-Houthi resistance forces. Allegedly, at least three hospitals were shut down because of direct threats to the staff.

“There can be no excuse for harassing medical staff or preventing doctors from carrying out their life-saving work,” Philip Luther, research and advocacy director for the Middle East and North Africa, said.

For over year and a half, Taiz has been under siege by Houthi and Saleh forces. While resistance crimes do occur, compared to the crimes committed by Houthi and Saleh forces, they are more sporadic.

Taiz is now enduring a power vacuum due to the systematic chaos induced by Houthi and Saleh forces. The lack of support the province has received from the national government, national army and the Saudi-led coalition has perpetuated insecurity, which has allowed for extremists to participate in Taiz.

Yemen, which is the Arab world’s poorest country, has been wracked by chaos since late 2014, when the Houthi group overran its capital city Sana’a and other parts of the country.