Taiz:The branch of the National Human Rights Authority in Taiz Governorate has condemned the targeting of the Al-Shaibani Paint Factory by Saudi aircraft in the Al-Rabiei area of Al-Ta'iziyah District. The attack resulted in a massive fire and significant destruction of the factory's infrastructure, occurring alongside other airstrikes on civilian objects within the governorate.
According to Yemen News Agency, the Authority's branch highlighted that the factory contained large quantities of flammable chemicals and paint. The targeting of such a facility is considered a compound crime due to the severe environmental damage it causes, including toxic gas emissions and contamination of soil and groundwater, posing health risks to neighboring residents.
The statement further noted that the Al-Shaibani Paint Factory is a significant national industrial facility employing hundreds of workers. Its destruction exacerbates the humanitarian challenges faced by families dependent on the factory for their livelihoods, especially under the ongoing siege. The attack is seen as a systematic assault on infrastructure and the national economy.
The Authority has classified this attack as a war crime and a violation of international humanitarian law, specifically citing Article 52 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, which prohibits the targeting of civilian objects. The branch has held the Saudi forces fully responsible for the criminal, environmental, and economic consequences of the attack.
The National Human Rights Authority has called upon the United Nations, its Environment Program, the International Labour Organization, and the Human Rights Council to form a technical committee to assess the pollution and damage. They demand that the aggressors compensate the factory owners and workers comprehensively and ensure the factory's rehabilitation.
