Service Crises Deepen Across Occupied Areas Amid Power Cuts, Tribal Escalation, and Fuel Shortages
The Dignity Call Center for Rights and Development has condemned the serious violations against peaceful protesters in southern Yemeni provinces, particularly Aden and Hadramawt, amid growing public anger over the continued deterioration of essential services, including electricity and water.
In a statement, the rights organization said citizens who took part in peaceful demonstrations demanding basic services and living rights were met with excessive force, including live fire, direct assaults, and arbitrary arrests.
The center reported that dozens of demonstrators, including children, had been detained during the protests, describing the measures as a violation of constitutional protections, national laws, and international conventions guaranteeing freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly.
The organization held the Saudi regime fully responsible for the reported violations, arguing that it exercises effective control over the affected areas and therefore bears legal obligations under international humanitarian law, including provisions contained in the Hague Regulations, the Geneva Conventions, and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
The statement called for the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees and forcibly disappeared individuals arrested in connection with the protests, as well as an end to security measures targeting activists and demonstrators.
It also urged international organizations, UN bodies, and human rights groups to document the alleged violations and pursue accountability through relevant international mechanisms.
The center highlighted the worsening humanitarian conditions in southern provinces, pointing to prolonged electricity outages, deteriorating public services, and the spread of disease, which it said have contributed to deaths among vulnerable groups, particularly children and the elderly.
According to the organization, the persistence of service failures despite years of promises by coalition-backed authorities demonstrates a systematic policy of collective punishment aimed at pressuring local populations and forcing acceptance of external political agendas.
Aden and several southern and eastern Yemeni provinces have witnessed recurring protests in recent months as residents demand improvements in electricity supply, water services, and living conditions. Public frustration has intensified amid prolonged power outages during the summer season, rising prices, and economic hardship.
Demonstrations have been reported across multiple cities, with activists accusing security forces of suppressing protests and detaining participants. Human rights organizations have repeatedly raised concerns about restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly in areas outside the control of the Sana’a-based government