Houthi Control Tightens Grip on Ibb: Exorbitant Levies and Security Purge
The Houthi militia's control over Ibb province has led to significant administrative, security, and economic shifts, with residents facing increased financial burdens and a systematic purge of local officials from key positions.
Amidst escalating military developments across Yemen, Ibb province, known for its high population density, is experiencing intensified pressure. Widespread complaints have emerged regarding escalating financial levies, particularly in preparation for recurring religious occasions like the Prophet's Birthday. Concurrently, a substantial restructuring of security and executive administrative roles is underway, replacing local cadres with Houthi figures from other provinces.
Ibb province is among the most heavily subjected to successive waves of unofficial fees and extortions, with seasonal events being a primary driver. As preparations for the Prophet's Birthday intensify, the province's urban and rural areas have become focal points for campaigns seeking financial and logistical support. Local testimonies from traders, business owners, and contractors in the provincial capital and key districts like Yarim and Al-Odin indicate that committees formed to oversee these events are imposing substantial financial demands on commercial establishments, service providers, and private hospitals. These levies reportedly range from fees for green decorations to contributions for convoys and mobilization efforts.
These collection efforts extend beyond the organized commercial sector to encompass popular markets, khat vendors, and farmers in rural areas, in addition to imposing extra charges on official government transactions under the guise of supporting these events. Local observers note that these measures exacerbate the economic hardships faced by citizens, given the decline in purchasing power, the non-payment of salaries to the civil sector, and the deterioration of basic services.
On the administrative and security fronts, field data and a human rights monitoring report obtained by Al-Khaba News Agency reveal a systematic strategy to diminish the role of Ibb's own residents in managing their province's affairs. This includes sidelining leadership figures and cadres who have declared allegiance to the Houthi militia in recent years. This trend is evident in the appointment of individuals from Sa'dah, Hajjah, Amran, and Dhamar to sensitive leadership positions, particularly within security, police, intelligence, and public works sectors. This has resulted in a compounded marginalization of social components and local dignitaries in Ibb.
These appointments have ignited growing anger among activists and politicians from the province, who assert that the exclusion of local residents from managing their own institutions amounts to a direct disenfranchisement, denying local competencies their basic administrative rights and placing the entire province, with its 20 districts, under the command of external Houthi elements who occupy all leadership echelons.
The outlined appointments clearly demonstrate the Houthi militia's tightening control and sectarian discrimination over the security apparatus in the province and all its districts. This has led to the prioritization of security and military solutions in addressing local matters within Ibb. This dominance is accompanied by increasing societal tension due to a lack of transparency in managing local revenues and their redirection towards the war effort and ideological events, at the expense of developmental projects and the maintenance of dilapidated infrastructure. The removal of local leaders, including those who joined the current militia years ago, has stripped local decision-making power and diminished the ability of sheikhs and social notables to mediate or resolve internal disputes, as security and administrative decisions are now directly issued by executive leaders from Sa'dah, Amran, and Hajjah.
In light of these developments, Ibb province faces a complex equation. While financial pressures persist to mobilize resources and recruit students and youth towards escalating frontlines, manifestations of geographical and social division are increasing due to exclusionary policies. This situation leaves the province pregnant with internal tension, governed by a stringent security grip.