Condemnation Statement
YWEF The Shabwa massacre is a horrific Houthi terrorist crime that confirms the militia's insistence on exterminating Yemenis and turning the country into arenas for mass killing and death
The Yemeni Women Empowerment Foundation (YWEF) condemns, in the strongest terms, the bloody terrorist crime committed by the Houthi terrorist militia, today, Monday, October 19, 2026, targeting the Martyr Ahmed Al-Sulaimani Training Center in Shabwa Governorate with three ballistic missiles, during a gathering Hundreds of new recruits from security and police units to receive training and rehabilitation, in a horrific massacre that resulted, according to the announced preliminary toll, in the death of 53 recruits and the injury of more than 200 others, including critical cases, amid expectations of a high death toll.
The Foundation affirms that the Shabwa massacre represents a horrific terrorist crime and a very serious bloody escalation, and a new embodiment of the criminal approach taken by the Houthi militia in shedding the blood of Yemenis, targeting state institutions, undermining security and stability, and plunging Yemeni society into a continuous spiral of death, loss, and human tragedy.
The Houthi terrorist militia, which has turned Yemeni cities and villages into open cemeteries, and pushed tens of thousands of young people and children into the holocaust of its wars, continues today to claim the lives of Yemenis with ballistic missiles, in a blatant persistence in mass killing, and absolute disregard for the sanctity of Yemeni blood. Insisting on the destruction of the remaining security and state institutions.
The crime is not measured by the number of martyrs and wounded alone, but by the magnitude of the humanitarian disaster it left behind; dozens of Yemeni families have turned in moments into houses of condolence, and bereaved mothers, widows' wives and children have become orphans, while hundreds of other families face the trauma of injuring their children and the consequences They suffer from prolonged health, psychological, economic and social suffering.
The Yemeni Women Empowerment Foundation confirms that the targeting of this gathering with ballistic missiles, and the consequent heavy human losses, requires criminal accountability for the attack and investigation of its violation of the rules of international humanitarian law, as a war crime that requires that those responsible do not escape punishment.
The Foundation holds the leader of the Houthi militia, Abdul Malik Al-Houthi, and its political, military, and security leadership responsible for the attack, and demands the prosecution of all those involved in planning, issuing orders, and implementation, and not to allow the blood of the victims to be turned into mere numbers in the records of the war.
The Foundation considers that the Houthi militia's continued use of ballistic missiles and drones to target cities, facilities and gatherings, inside and outside Yemen, represents a serious threat to regional security and peace, and confirms the danger of the continued flow of weapons and military technologies to The militia, and the inability of the international community to take effective measures to stop its attacks and hold its leaders accountable.
The Yemeni Women Empowerment Foundation demands the following:
1. Accountability and prosecution : Opening an urgent criminal investigation into the Shabwa massacre, documenting the crime and identifying those responsible, and prosecuting the leaders of the Houthi militia involved in ordering, planning and executing the attack.
2. International action: Taking firm international action to stop Houthi attacks with ballistic missiles and drones, drying up the sources of arming the militia and financing its military operations.
3. Redress for victims: Ensure full medical care for the injured and fair compensation for the families of the martyrs and the wounded, and provide protection and psychological, social and economic support for widows, orphans and families who have lost their breadwinners.
4. Protecting Yemenis: Take the necessary security and military measures to protect gatherings and facilities from rocket attacks and prevent the recurrence of these massacres.
The Foundation confirms that the international silence regarding the continuation of crimes and violations committed by the Houthi militia, and the absence of serious accountability, have contributed to the consolidation of a climate of impunity, and encouraged the militia to continue its bloody attacks without regard for the lives of Yemenis or the future of their country.
The Yemeni Women Empowerment Foundation extends its deepest condolences and sympathy to the families of the martyrs and their families and to the people of Shabwa Governorate and the Yemeni people as a whole, and wishes a speedy recovery for the injured, it confirms that the blood of the victims of the Shabwa massacre will not be subject to the statute of limitations, and that those responsible for this crime must be subject to accountability and justice, and that the rights of victims and their families will remain an uncompromising or forgotten priority.