The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
On November 20, 2023, Saudi Arabia's Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reported that the Houthi Ansar Allah Movement has forced Yemeni women to donate money and jewelry "to support Gaza."[1]
The Saudi outlet reported that the Houthi Movement's all-female security force, known as the Zaynabiyyat, has carried out a collections drive in several districts in Yemen's northern Ibb governorate aimed at collecting donations for the Houthi war machine.
An anonymous woman in the governorate told Al-Sharq Al-Awsat that the Zaynabiyyat have paid surprise visits to homes in her area, during which they extorted monetary donations from women under threat of "pressure and blackmail." The visits have reportedly coincided with a concerted media campaign aimed at galvanizing public support against Israel.
The Saudi report included photos – released by Houthi media – which showed Yemeni women providing such donations. The anonymous woman expressed her dissatisfaction with the collections drive, suggesting that while the donations are reportedly collected under the guise of supporting Palestine, the funds in reality are used by the Houthis to fund the war effort against Israel.
Since the Hamas attack on Israel, Yemen's Houthis have launched several aerial attacks against Israel; additionally, they claimed the capture of an Israeli cargo ship in the Red Sea on October 19.[2] The Iran-backed movement has also repeatedly threatened additional attacks against Israel and U.S. forces in the region.
[1] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, November 20, 2023.
