MARSADAK Calls for Urgent Support for Journalists Displaced from Mocha and Surrounding Areas

 The Media Freedom Observatory in Yemen (MARSADAK), an initiative of the Studies and Economic Media Center (SEMC), has called for urgent humanitarian and professional support for journalists and media workers displaced from Mocha and surrounding areas following recent military and security developments.

In an emergency briefing, the Observatory said that information it had collected indicates that at least 117 journalists, media workers, and other media-sector personnel have been displaced. The figure includes 15 independent journalists (freelancers) and nine women journalists and media workers. MARSADAK stressed that the figure remains preliminary and may change as verification continues. The Observatory directly verified the cases of the 15 independent journalists, while the remaining figures are based in part on information provided by the media institutions concerned.

MARSADAK said the displacement occurred abruptly, with a number of journalists and media workers leaving only hours before the Houthi group entered the area, amid fears of arrest or detention because of their media work. Many were unable to take their personal belongings or professional equipment with them. The Observatory also documented raids on and looting of the homes of some journalists and media workers.

The developments also disrupted the work of several media institutions. Al Joumhouriya TV’s local studio in Mocha ceased operations on the evening of 10 September 2026 following the displacement of its staff, while the channel continued broadcasting from Cairo using previously produced programmes. The channel’s premises in Mocha were subsequently raided and seized after the Houthi group entered the city.

The Observatory noted that the departure of independent journalists and correspondents has significantly reduced access to independent, first-hand information from inside the affected areas, making it increasingly difficult to independently verify developments on the ground.

Displaced journalists are facing difficult humanitarian and professional conditions, particularly those who have lost their jobs or whose media institutions have suspended operations. Testimonies collected by MARSADAK also indicate psychological effects linked to fear during displacement, loss of property, and uncertainty over employment, income, and the future of their families.

In a related development, Zakaria Dahman, who was responsible for programming schedules at Al Joumhouriya TV, died on 11 September 2026 after arriving in Aden. According to information collected by the Observatory, his health deteriorated amid escalating insecurity, fear, and shelling in Mocha. His colleagues linked the deterioration in his condition to the psychological stress associated with the developments and displacement, while the available medical report recorded cardiac and respiratory arrest as the cause of death.

MARSADAK called on partners and relevant organisations to take urgent action to provide safe accommodation and essential assistance, temporary financial support, psychosocial and professional support, and assistance enabling displaced journalists to resume their work. It also stressed the importance of taking into account the specific needs of displaced women journalists and media workers.

The Media Freedom Observatory in Yemen (MARSADAK) is a specialised platform of the Studies and Economic Media Center (SEMC) that monitors and documents violations of press freedom and freedom of expression in Yemen, publishes verified information, and advocates for journalists’ rights and protection at the national and international levels.

Read the full briefing