The Environment Houthis Face Mounting Criticism Over Harmful Pesticides

Following the widespread dissemination of leaked documents and a very public debate on the risks of agricultural pesticides, including accusations that Houthi leaders are involved in the trade of banned chemicals, Mahdi al-Mashat, the head of the group’s Supreme Political Council, addressed the thorny issue on May 19. Al-Mashat spoke during a meeting with leaders from the Ministries of Agriculture and Irrigation and the Environmental Protection Authority and other officials from the Houthi authorities in Sana’a. He dismissed public concerns over the use of banned pesticides and their potentially harmful effects on public health and the environment, characterizing the concerns as part of an international conspiracy.

Al-Mashat noted that the pesticide methyl bromide had been used around the world before being largely phased out by what he called the ‘European Protocol’^[1] as an ozone-depleting substance. However, he claimed it can still be used in Yemen “because Yemen has no ozone layer problem and no global warming.” Al-Mashat added that the furor surrounding the leaked documents and concern over the carcinogenic effects of banned chemicals was “smearing and discrediting pesticides used to combat epidemics and pests that are spread in agricultural products in Yemen.” He implied that such pests were being deliberately spread in acts of sabotage and declared that the ongoing campaign on social media platforms is “unjust and aligns with the intention of espionage cells within Yemen to destroy the agricultural process, and this will not be allowed to happen.” Al-Mashat’s choice of words implied that the Houthis could act to silence voices calling for oversight, revised policies, and continued research.^[2]

In response, Muammar al-Eryani, Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism in the internationally recognized government, stated that “Al-Mashat’s defense of the trade in expired and internationally banned pesticides, which endanger the lives of millions of Yemenis, confirms the direct involvement of the militia leaders […] in financing what is known as the war effort.” He added that the speech was part of the Houthis’ attempts to intimidate activists and prevent them from addressing the issue. However, it is worth noting that some of the controversial shipments of pesticides were imported into or passed through areas controlled by the internationally recognized government.

Since the onset of the war, weakened oversight has allowed hazardous pesticides and fertilizers to be imported, even those banned in Yemen and elsewhere due to their carcinogenicity, high toxicity, and environmental impact. Houthi authorities have established a new General Administration of Pesticides that formally falls under the Ministry of Agriculture, but it operates with financial and administrative autonomy. This has raised questions about its role in regulating the import and use of hazardous materials and its relationships with the entities that profit.

Over the last two months, activists have launched a campaign on social media following the disclosure of documents showing the volume of hazardous chemicals and pesticides imported over the past few years. On April 27, activist Khaled al-Araasi was arrested at his home in Sana’a, likely over his leaking of documents that revealed the involvement of prominent traders and Houthi leaders in importing previously banned pesticides. In an April 26 Facebook post titled “Stop Killing Us… Pesticides are Mass Extermination,” Al-Araasi stated that “the biggest aggression faced by Yemen is drowning it with smuggled pesticides” and criticized Houthi officials’ silence on the issue. He said a solution would require acknowledging the problem, stopping the import and use of such pesticides, and prosecuting perpetrators. He proposed various steps to the authorities in Sana’a, though he added that “these procedures will not happen, for the simple reason that the authority in this degrading situation cannot prosecute and try itself.” Authorities in Sana’a denied being behind his arrest when his family asked where he was being detained.

The leaked documents and other disclosures since the end of 2023 have shed light on irregularities and illegal activity. According to one allegedly issued by Houthi-affiliated Minister of Agriculture Abdelmalek al-Thawr, over 14 million liters of pesticides were imported in 2023 alone, a far greater quantity than normal. The minister has reportedly ordered the Deputy Minister for Agricultural Services to halt import approvals and work to re-export the pesticides to the country of origin.

Another leaked document, dated September 20, 2021, was allegedly from the General-Director of Plant Protection in Sana’a and addressed to the Minister of Agriculture, detailing the 2018 seizure of illegal pesticide shipments belonging to the Daghsan Group, including methyl bromide, by the Public Prosecutor and the Security and Intelligence apparatus at the Al-Rahidah border crossing in Taiz governorate. The memo clarified that the seized chemicals could not be released by law and expressed surprise at Al-Thawr’s instruction to hand over the shipment to farmers in the Bani Mua’ad district of Sa’ada governorate, despite a prior agreement with the minister on limiting the distribution of hazardous chemicals.

A further leaked document, dated November 28, 2023, details the release of a Saba International Company shipment belonging to trader Abdelazim Daghsan, a stakeholder in the Daghsan Group, also containing methyl bromide. According to the document, the shipment was released after the forceful intercession of the Houthis’ Al-Najdah forces, led by commander Abu Badr al-Murani, despite repeated attempts by customs officials to impound it for lacking authorization from the Ministry of Agriculture.

The Daghsan Group has emerged as a central player in the import and distribution of banned pesticides, as well as other alleged illicit activities such as arms trafficking, oil smuggling, and money laundering. The company has a history of environmental violations. In 2014, the Public Funds Court issued a decision to close the Daghsan Pesticides Company after it was found to have dumped hundreds of tons of toxic waste in the Al-Jaraf neighborhood in eastern Sana’a city. In 2018, Daghsan Group was implicated in the relocation of toxic waste from Al-Jaraf to Harf Sufyan district in Amran governorate after residents attempted to prevent it. Drivers then moved the waste toward Sa’ada governorate before being referred to court. Finally, the quantity was dumped in Harf Sufyan based on judicial instructions, despite Law No. 25 of 1999 requiring importers to return confiscated goods to the country of origin at their own expense. A parliamentary report also documented the seizure of a ship belonging to Daghsan Group carrying 251 tons of banned substances. During his trial in Sana’a in 2024, Daghsan admitted to importing pesticide varieties through smuggling.

The killing of prominent journalist Mohammed al-Absi on December 20, 2016, was also allegedly linked to the Daghsan Group and other influential outfits in Sana’a. On February 6, 2017, the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate said that Al-Absi was poisoned because he investigated corruption involving oil smuggling on behalf of senior Houthi officials. In November 2022, the Prosecutor’s office of West Sana’a closed the case due to insufficient evidence. The UN Panel of Experts 2019 report, citing Yemeni media, said Al-Absi had named three companies allegedly involved in oil smuggling and black market sales: Oil Primer, linked to the Daghsan Group; Yemen Life, linked to Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdelsalam; and Black Gold, linked to Ali Nasser Qirshah, a senior Houthi official close to Abdelmalek al-Houthi.

To avoid further scrutiny, the Daghsan Group has attempted to keep its name out of the limelight in recent years. However, it recently began construction of a fertilizer and pesticide factory on agricultural land between Hamdan and Bani Matar districts in Sana’a governorate via the Al-Watan Road Homeland Pioneers Company, along with other investors. The company was established in December 2021 as a joint stock company with total assets of $40 million and operations across several sectors, including pesticide importers and traders in Yemen, 30 agricultural societies, and a grain development and production institution.

On April 25, tribesmen from Bani Matar, Hamdan, and Al-Haymah districts in Sana’a held rallies aimed at stopping the construction of the US$5 million dollar factory, whose foundation stone was laid by Houthi leader Mohammed Ali al-Houthi two weeks prior. The protesters expressed fears over the potential impact of the factory and its waste, as it is located near a populated area home to 20,000 people. The facility could also threaten agricultural land, wells, and springs in the region. The risk is not just to residents’ health and the environment – some of the materials are also used in explosives manufacturing.

Regulations have also been undermined by jurisdictional disputes. Some authorities are blocking pesticide shipments because they do not meet specifications, while others are releasing them since they are authorized to do so. On December 31, 2023, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) lodged a complaint against the Deputy Minister for the Services Sector at the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, Dhaif Allah Shamlan, and the General Directorate of Plant Protection at the Ministry. The complaint alleged that they violated laws and regulations and interfered with the authority of the EPA, directing the EPA not to release pesticide shipments. It came in response to an October incident when a shipment belonging to trader Nayef al-Mahras was detained at the General Directorate of Plant Protection’s yard in Sana’a governorate after the EPA had already released it from customs at the port of Hudaydah. The EPA requested that the public prosecutor enforce judicial rulings issued by the Sana’a court, which granted the EPA full authority over the public disbursement of pesticides and called for the release of detained shipments. Such episodes illustrate the extent of institutional fragmentation and bureaucratic competition, which are further obstacles to the regulation of pesticides and the protection of public health.