Iran-backed Houthis tighten grip on Zakat funds after Yemen's Sanaa stampede

Asserting that the Sanaa stampede that took place at the end of last Ramadan, which killed more than 80 people, was orchestrated by the militia, the Houthis tightened their control over the Zakat funds, and their "General Authority for Zakat" became the only entity that controls the collection of Zakat, whether from institutions government agencies, private sector, merchants or individuals.

The Iran-backed Houthis earn billions of riyals annually from Zakat Funds through the commission headed by Shamsan Abu Nashtan. However, the commission claims to spend most of it on projects such as Aakat El-fitr and debtors, support for the families of their dead, wounded, fighters and captives, and support for sectarian summer centers.

The authority established by the Houthis in 2018, instead of the general administration of Zakat duties, launched in Ramadan two projects for Zakat El-Fitr and cash assistance for 700,000 beneficiary families in their areas of control, and claimed that the cost of the two projects was estimated at YR14 billion.

NGOs considered that the discriminatory Houthi decisions, which aim to extract more money from the Yemenis, and allocate that money to a group of Yemenis on dynastic grounds, is rejected and condemned and must be canceled immediately.

"This decision comes at a time when the economic and humanitarian situation is witnessing a major collapse, especially in light of the failure to pay the salaries of hundreds of thousands of government employees, and this will have serious effects on public peace". NGOs said.

The report of the UN Panel of Experts on Yemen said that the Houthis exercise effective control over the collection, use and management of Zakat, including to fund their war efforts and military operations, depriving local authorities of this source of revenue.

The report submitted to the UN Security Council in February 2023 confirmed that the Houthis obtain large financial resources by imposing Zakat on many new activities, estimated at YR25 billion per year.