Irada Condemns Houthi Escalation in Al-Mukha and Al-Barh
The Irada Organization Against Torture and Enforced Disappearance strongly condemns the ongoing military escalation by the Houthi militia and the attacks involving missiles and drones that targeted the Mokha Port, civilian facilities, residential neighborhoods, and populated areas, in a dangerous development that threatens the lives and safety of civilians and exposes civilian objects and vital facilities to serious damage.
The Irada Organization Against Torture and Enforced Disappearance monitored, during the period from Sunday, August 9, 2026, through August 18, 2026, continued military escalation along the western coast, including shelling and repeated attacks that affected the city of Mokha, its port, and civilian areas, resulting in damage to civilian property and facilities, in addition to the state of fear and panic affecting residents and displaced persons as a result of the continued shelling and military threats.
The Irada Organization also strongly condemns the Houthi shelling that targeted the Al-Barah District and the surrounding areas, accompanied by extensive military mobilization and Houthi combat movements on the district’s fronts.
The Irada Organization indicates that what occurred in Al-Barah consisted of military mobilization, intense shelling, and a violent attack, which was repelled by the Yemeni Armed Forces – National Resistance, amid growing fears of an expansion of the confrontations and the military operations approaching populated areas.
The Irada Organization considers that the intense shelling, military mobilization, and Houthi combat movements in Al-Barah District, coinciding with the escalation targeting Mokha and its port, constitute a highly dangerous development that could increase the likelihood of civilian casualties, damage to property, the displacement of families from their areas, and the deepening of the humanitarian crisis that civilians have endured for years.
The Irada Organization affirms that the protection of civilians and civilian objects must be an absolute priority amid any military escalation, and that the presence of residential areas and civilian facilities near front lines requires all parties to strictly comply with the rules of international humanitarian law.
The Irada Organization Against Torture and Enforced Disappearance affirms that the historic and commercial Mokha Port constitutes a vital civilian facility, and that its safety and continued operation are directly linked to the interests of residents and to commercial, economic, and humanitarian activities in the area. It has also remained, throughout the years of war, a vital outlet and space for thousands of families, civilians, and displaced persons.
The Irada Organization warns that continued targeting of the port, civilian facilities, and residential neighborhoods threatens the livelihoods of civilians and fishermen, aggravates their humanitarian suffering, and exposes thousands of families, including displaced persons, to new risks that cannot be justified by any military considerations.
The Irada Organization also condemns attacks and acts of aggression that threaten the security and safety of maritime navigation, commercial vessels, and oil and goods tankers in the Red Sea, given the vital importance of this maritime corridor to international trade and the movement of supplies, and the risks that such attacks may pose to the lives of ship crews and civilians, in addition to disrupting the movement of trade and humanitarian assistance.
The Irada Organization Against Torture and Enforced Disappearance considers that the continued launching of missiles and drones toward populated areas and the targeting of civilian objects and facilities may constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes, requiring independent, impartial, and transparent investigations, as well as the identification and accountability of those responsible for these violations.
The Irada Organization calls on the Yemeni government, local authorities, and relevant humanitarian agencies to urgently respond to the needs of the injured, affected persons, and displaced persons, provide medical care, essential assistance, and protection to affected families, and strengthen emergency measures and humanitarian response in Mokha, Al-Barah, and the areas affected by the escalation.
The Irada Organization also calls on the United Nations and the United Nations Security Council to take urgent action to stop the military escalation, adopt effective measures to protect civilians, monitor military movements along the western coast, prevent the expansion of the confrontations, and ensure respect for the rules of international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
The Irada Organization stresses the need to ensure the security and safety of maritime navigation in the Red Sea, protect commercial and civilian vessels and their crews, and hold accountable those responsible for any acts that threaten civilian lives or endanger the movement of trade and humanitarian supplies.
The Irada Organization affirms that the protection of civilians is neither a political option nor a divisible obligation, but rather a legal and humanitarian duty incumbent upon all parties to the conflict, and that targeting civilians and civilian objects, or exposing them to danger, must not go without investigation or accountability. The Houthi militia must bear the consequences of these violations.
The Irada Organization Against Torture and Enforced Disappearance further affirms its continued monitoring and documentation of violations committed against civilians in Yemen, collecting testimonies, information, and evidence related to them, and working to convey them to the competent national and international authorities in a manner that contributes to achieving justice, securing redress for victims, and preventing impunity.
Issued by:Irada Organization Against Torture and Enforced Disappearance
Wednesday, August 19, 2026Geneva – Switzerland
