Street Vendors Subjected to Violations and Harassment

For ten years, the situation of street vendors whose numbers are increasing due to poverty and unemployment has not changed. Their rights are subjected to violations, blackmailing and confiscation by municipality and public works officials in all Yemeni cities and markets.

In its campaign conducted last week and targeted random buildings and street vendors, the capital's municipality harshly dealt with street vendors as different violations were recorded including beating, insulting, confiscation of property and detention.

Municipality's bulldozer known as 'Sharwn' destroyed all random houses and stalls without giving any notices to these houses or stalls' owners though they were built in the past at the complacency of municipality's inspectors. The violations also included street vendors whose property was confiscated or destroyed.

Further, municipality officials force bribes of 500 to 1,000 on each street vendor. Once a vendor rejects to pay, the officials destroy the commodities and confiscate the cart.

Secret detentions

Street vendors and stall owners are jailed in a secret detention belonging to the municipality. These detentions lack in all the basic services, as detainees may stay there for days or even weeks until they pay the fines against which they do not receive official receipts.

Children are not exempted and municipality officials send them to their secret detentions without paying attention to their age and the risks posed by mixing them with elder people.

Despite all these violations, authorities turn a blind eye to these issues. The municipality's officials, and in stark violations of law do not refer the owners of random houses and stalls or street vendors to the prosecution, particularly in case of confiscation or property damage.