Geneva — The Global Union of Yemeni Communities and other rights groups protested in front of the UN headquarters in Geneva against Houthi atrocities against civilians in the district of Hajour.

Protesters on Saturday said they wanted to draw international attention to the situation across Yemen and called on the international community to apply further pressure on the Houthis by imposing sanctions to deter the Iranian-backed militant group.

Dr. Hayaf Khalid, president of the Global Union of Yemeni Communities, said that the people of Hajour “suffer from a very harsh Houthi siege that prevents them from water and food.”

“Their homes have been bombed, their sheikhs have been killed and their children are being used as human shields on the battlefronts,” he added.

Since last September, the Houthis had imposed a blockade on Hajour, according to local sources, in an attempt to subdue them. The Hajour tribes with a population of around 200,000 are spread over more than 10 districts in Hajjah governorate. — Al Arabiya Englishx