RANIYA ABDULLAH

Yemen- The ongoing conflicts in Yemen have killed dozens and displaced thousands in Taiz, a city in southwestern Yemen. Since the conflicts broke out in Yemen, many crimes against humanity such as rights violations, massacres and rape have been committed against civilians.

In the country, a group of human rights defenders have been fighting to ensure security for civilians despite all the pressures, threats and obstacles. Raghda Almaqtari, a lawyer and human rights defender in the city of Taiz, is one of them.

Raghda Almaqtari struggles to expose rights violations committed against women and children, who are seen as the weakest group in society. “Since the Yemeni crisis began, I have been actively working to document rights violations against civilians,” she told NuJINHA.

‘Aomen and children are the most affected by the ongoing conflicts’

In 2015, when the conflicts intensified in the city of Taiz, many civilians left the city to seek a safer place. Raghda Almaqtari was one of the displaced people. After 10 days, she returned to the city with a group of young people in order to document rights violations committed in the city. Working with the National Commission to Investigate Alleged Violations to Human Rights, Raghda Almaqtari said, “May children have lost their parents in conflicts. They have to work to look after their family members. Women and children are the most affected by the ongoing conflicts.”

She receives threats from Al-Qaeda

“What happened in Taiz was also my problem. That's why I decided to take the responsibility and fight to the end,” said Raghda Almaqtari, who has been receiving threats from Al-Qaeda. “One day, when I was working with my husband to monitor a rights violation committed in the city, a black car stopped and a man in the car told us that he would kill us if we did not leave the city now. We took shelter in some houses in the city for a while.”

Despite the threats, Raghda Almaqtari says she will keep fighting to document rights violations in the city.