On the anniversary of the Yemeni people’s uprising against the tyranny of the occupation, 14 October, the Yemeni Coalition for Human Rights in partnership with the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS), announced the launch of its flagship campaign for 2026: #WannaLive. This campaign highlights the daily suffering of the Yemeni people, deprived of all their rights under the burden of a protracted conflict that has caused one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world. Sixty-two years after the revolution against British rule, the country continues to suffer from a devastating humanitarian and human rights crisis, and its citizens are deprived of their fundamental rights and freedoms. Citizens face food shortages, water scarcity, fuel and electricity crises, a lack of healthcare and education, and rampant corruption and repression. The Yemeni people continue to suffer across the country, with all warring parties complicit in committing crimes against them.
The Yemeni Coalition and CIHRS call on all Yemeni, regional, and international civil society organizations, media institutions, unions, youth initiatives, human rights activists, relevant international mechanisms, and every freedom-serving voice to join the ‘WannaLive’ campaign, which highlights the heavy cost of the conflict on the lives of civilians in Yemen. The campaign must demand an end to policies of starvation, siege, movement restrictions, humanitarian aid obstruction, free speech suppression, the right to protest, the shelling on residential neighborhoods, and other arbitrary and retaliatory practices against the bereaved people. They must further recognize the need to hold accountable those responsible for these crimes, including those involved in war crimes in Yemen.
Amid an absence of accountability, the parties to the conflict in Yemen continue with widespread impunity to commit crimes against civilians, especially women and children, while failing as ruling authorities to meet their basic needs. Nearly twenty million people—more than half the population—are in dire need of humanitarian assistance. This is compounded by insecurity and turmoil, and an increase in assassinations, kidnappings, looting, and the indiscriminate shelling of residential buildings and infrastructure. Women engaged in public work are being targeted, as are activists working for UN agencies, civil society members, and relief workers. These violations undermine any efforts to address the devastating humanitarian crisis, and are deliberately inflicted to intimidate and retaliate against those involved in protection and aid efforts.
Meanwhile the issues of delayed wages for government employees and the lack of essential public services, including education and healthcare, are worsening. The campaign reminds us that providing electricity, fuel, clean water, sanitation, and road security are all essential functions of any ruling authority and must not be denied, restricted, or provided selectively and discriminatorily. A public employee’s salary is a right that cannot be disregarded. Grants, aid funds, and relief supplies belong to the entire people, not only to the authorities and their agents. The persistence of corruption, the waste of public funds, and the lack of transparency and accountability on spending and priorities are all serious crimes that exacerbate the suffering of millions of Yemenis and require accountability and redress. These issues must be addressed by serious public administration reform and the activation of community oversight mechanisms, including independent media and a free civil society, and the protection of judicial independence as a fundamental guarantee of achieving justice. All those involved in reform and transformation efforts must be protected from retaliation including assassinations, kidnappings, smear campaigns, and threats.
‘ WannaLive’ is the primary and vital demand of the Yemeni people today: to live in dignity, peace, and security, in a homeland that guarantees fundamental rights for its citizens, ensures justice for victims, and holds perpetrators accountable.
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