Yemen war: second journalist killed in 2026

Few journalists in Yemen are still able to report on the civil war - and Abdel Rahman al-Houri was one of them. On 7 November, the freelance photographer, who had recently earned a journalism degree from Saba Region University, travelled to the southern front in Marib, east of the Houthi-controlled capital, Sanaa, to cover clashes between the Houthi armed militia and government forces at close range.

Since September, fighting between the two sides, at war since 2014, has intensified along this front. Abdel Rahman al-Houri managed to get close enough to interview members of the Yemeni army and gather details about the ongoing battle. Shortly after the interview ended, a missile struck the area where they were standing, killing five people, including the journalist. According to RSF information, the missile was reportedly fired from the Houthi side of the front line.

Originally from Raymah, a governorate west of Sanaa under Houthi control, Abdel Rahman al-Houri had been passionate about photographing urban landscapes with his mobile phone from a young age, before deciding to study journalism. But even his amateur photography attracted the attention of Houthi censors, who regularly intimidated him, according to first-hand accounts given to RSF by colleagues of the journalist. These pressures, coupled with his desire to escape forced conscription into Houthi forces, led him to leave his hometown in 2017 and seek refuge in Marib, which is under government control. He had lived there ever since with his wife and three children in a displacement camp.

"There is no doubt that he was opposed to the Houthis," a Yemeni investigative journalist told RSF on condition of anonymity. "But that never affected his integrity. He often came to me for advice and was committed to reporting the facts, regardless of his own views."

Abdel Rahman al-Houri sold his photographs to media outlets in Yemen and other nearby countries, including the television channels Al-Yaman Al-Yawm, Al-Hadath and Al-Sharq.

A shortage of safety equipment

The colleague of Abdel Rahman al-Houri had organised a safety training session for young reporters three months earlier. Abdel Rahman al-Houri had taken part. "He was very engaged and asked a lot of questions about safety," the journalist told RSF. "I explained the dangers to him, but he was an adventurer." On the day he was killed, the young reporter had gone to the front line without a press vest or helmet, by no fault of his own: "For every 100 journalists in Marib, we have just two sets of protective equipment," his colleague explained.

When the war resumed in September 2026, RSF warned of the dangers facing journalists in Yemen. In June 2026, journalist Mohammed Aïda was assassinated by the Houthis, according to the findings of a government investigation.