"We have lost the joy of Eid, as all our days are being painted with blood. How can we rejoice with the Houthi and Saleh militias killing us every day?," lament the residents of Taiz in Yemen, living under the specter of war initiated by the militias more than two years ago. The otherwise joyous occasion of Eid has been filled with sadness in a country where rituals of happiness have been silenced by the bloody coup. The minarets from where the call for prayer and worshiping of Allah on the Eid day are all bombed out by the Houthis. A report by the Yemeni religious scholars has revealed that 299 mosques in the several governorates of the country have been razed to the ground, 24 others have been severely damaged with parts of their walls destroyed, while 146 mosques have been turned into military barracks by the militias, and their towers are being used by snipers to kill innocents. There are no more Eid ceremonies due to the Houthi war against the Yemenis, who have been reeling under rocketing of prices for months, making sweets, nuts and clothing completely out of reach. While the common Yemenis are suffering every day, the obstinate Houthi leaders have created a black market, looting revenues, and pillaging humanitarian aid. They have not even spared civil servants and military personnel, siphoning off their salaries for the past nine months. Huge levies have also been imposed on traders with the aim of filling the Houthi coffers. Saleh Mohsin, an assumed name for security reasons, one of the scores of displaced Yemenis, told Al-Riyadh Arabic newspaper that Eid happiness for him is when he would be able to return home safely after the militias are expelled and the legitimate government is reinstated The militias have also ruthlessly mobilized thousands of children to fight, leaving behind their innocence to the war and fighting. The theme parks have been turned into military barracks, psychologically affecting children and making war games their passion. The legitimate Yemeni government has renewed its commitment to peace. It has called on the international community, the Security Council and the group of 18 countries sponsoring the political process in Yemen to exert pressure on the coup leaders to sincerely engage in peace talks. Yemen's permanent representative to the United Nations has reiterated the government's full support for the recent proposals made by the UN special envoy on Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh, aimed at stopping the blood-letting. He has also called for restoring constitutional legitimacy in the country and achieving stability according to the Gulf Initiative and the relevant Security Council resolutions, particularly Resolution 2216. Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr has said that the liberation of Aden would not have happened without the continuous support of the Arab Coalition. This is the second anniversary of the liberation of the interim capital of Aden from the militias. It marks the courageous and sincere role of the Arab Coalition, led by the Kingdom, to restore legitimacy in Yemen.
