Insan Organization for Rights and Freedoms unveiled, on Monday, during a press conference held in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, a comprehensive human rights report entitled "The Economic War on Yemen: Failure to Keep the Economy Neutral and the Use of Civilians as a Means of Pressure." The report documents the humanitarian and economic consequences of the measures imposed on Yemen since 26 March 2015, and examines how economic instruments were transformed into tools of pressure whose repercussions have affected the lives of millions of civilians.

The press conference was attended by Ali Saleh Taysir, Chairman of the National Commission for Human Rights, Amal Al-Makhadhi, Vice Chairperson of Insan Organization for Rights and Freedoms, as well as a number of human rights advocates, journalists, and individuals concerned with humanitarian affairs.

During the event marking the report's launch, Ali Saleh Taysir, Chairman of the National Commission for Human Rights, and Amal Al-Makhadhi, Vice Chairperson of Insan Organization for Rights and Freedoms, stressed that the report constitutes comprehensive and professional human rights documentation of the scale of the economic and humanitarian losses Yemen has suffered throughout the years of war. They noted that it is based on data, statistics, and field monitoring documenting the impact of economic measures on civilians.

In his remarks, Taysir explained that the report documents widespread attacks targeting civilian, service, and economic facilities, including hospitals, markets, schools, universities, airports, roads, bridges, industrial and agricultural facilities, and even traffic signals. He emphasized that this pattern of attacks has inflicted severe damage on the foundations of civilian life in Yemen.

He added that the widespread targeting of civilian objects and the economic measures imposed on Yemen by the coalition led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law and international law.

For her part, Amal Al-Makhadhi, Vice Chairperson of Insan Organization for Rights and Freedoms, stated that the report is the outcome of years of human rights work and field monitoring. She explained that it was prepared in accordance with a rigorous professional methodology to document the impact of the economic war on civilians and to highlight its effects on fundamental rights, foremost among them the rights to food, health, work, education, and an adequate standard of living.

The report found that the economic war extended beyond the destruction of vital facilities and infrastructure to include the imposition of stringent restrictions on air, sea, and land entry points. These restrictions disrupted supply chains, drove up the prices of food, fuel, and medicines, reduced purchasing power, and expanded the scope of poverty and humanitarian need among the population.

The report also examined the repercussions of relocating the functions of the Central Bank of Yemen to the city of Aden, together with the restrictions imposed on the banking sector and financial transfers. It explained that these measures directly affected the regular payment of salaries for hundreds of thousands of public-sector employees, exacerbated the monetary and economic crisis, and hindered trade and investment.

The report concludes that the use of economic measures as a means of exerting pressure on civilians, and the failure to keep the economy neutral in the conflict, constitute grave violations of the rules of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. It calls for independent and transparent international investigations into economic violations and their humanitarian consequences, ensuring accountability and reparations for victims, and taking urgent action to lift all restrictions hindering the recovery of Yemen's economy in order to safeguard fundamental rights and improve the living conditions of the population.