Brussels | 13 October 2026
Minister of Human Rights, Mashdal Mohammed, met today in the Belgian capital, Brussels, with the Vice-Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, Hana Jalloul, to discuss the importance of the European Union designating the Houthi militias as a terrorist organization, in light of their escalating violations against civilians in Yemen and their threats to international navigation and regional and international security.
The Minister emphasized the importance of the European Parliament’s support for this step and its potential contribution to increasing political and economic pressure on the militias, limiting their ability to continue committing violations and threatening regional security and international navigation. He stressed the need for a firm European stance in response to their growing threat and the repercussions of their actions on civilians.
The Minister reviewed the renewed suffocating siege imposed by the terrorist Houthi militias on the city of Taiz, which is home to more than one million people, and the prevention of food and medical supplies from reaching its residents. He warned of the serious humanitarian repercussions of the continued siege and disruption of supplies, which further exacerbate the suffering of residents, threaten their lives, and deprive them of their basic needs.
The meeting also discussed the latest developments in the human rights situation in Yemen and ways to strengthen European Union support for the Yemeni people amid increasing violations committed by the Houthi militias in various parts of the country, particularly in Taiz Governorate.
Undersecretary of the Ministry of Human Rights, Nabil Abdulhafeedh, reviewed the continued recruitment of children and African migrants by the terrorist Houthi militias and their deployment in military operations, as well as the risks posed by the militias’ attacks on maritime navigation.
For her part, Jalloul affirmed the need for the European Union to designate the Houthi militias as a terrorist organization, thereby supporting the Minister’s call, and stressed that the Houthis’ human rights violations in Yemen must not go unanswered. She expressed her interest in strengthening the European role in supporting the Yemeni people, in light of the human rights challenges and humanitarian suffering discussed during the meeting.
The meeting was attended by Yemen’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium, Mohammed Taha Mustafa.
