Information collected by the Media Freedom Observatory (MARSADAK) indicates that at least 117 journalists, media workers, and other media-sector staff have been displaced from the city of Mocha and surrounding areas that recently came under the control of the Houthi group, amid escalating military and security developments in the area since the beginning of September 2026.

Journalists were forced to leave Mocha and surrounding areas abruptly, only hours before the Houthi group entered the city, as the group moved closer to taking control of the city and surrounding areas and fears of arrest or detention on account of their media work intensified. A large number of them left without being able to take their personal belongings or professional equipment, while others were displaced together with their families amid difficulties in securing transportation and highly volatile security conditions. MARSADAK also documented the raiding and looting of the homes of some journalists working in Mocha and surrounding areas.

Those displaced include journalists and media workers from ALJOUMHOURIYA TV; journalists working for or contributing to the National Resistance Media Center and Sawt Al-Muqawama Radio; independent journalists (freelancers); and journalists employed by government institutions. The total includes 15 independent journalists (freelancers) displaced from these areas, whose identities were verified directly by MARSADAK.

The developments led to the suspension of operations at ALJOUMHOURIYA TV’s local studio in Mocha on the evening of 9 September 2026 as a result of the displacement of its staff, while the channel continued broadcasting from Cairo using previously produced programmes. Other media institutions were also affected by the displacement of their staff. The Houthi group subsequently raided and seized ALJOUMHOURIYA TV’s premises in Mocha after entering the city, at a time when staff had been unable to remove the channel’s equipment.

Displaced journalists are currently facing increasing challenges related to accommodation, income, their ability to continue working, and supporting their families, in addition to psychological impacts resulting from the sudden displacement, loss of property, and uncertainty surrounding their professional future.

According to information collected by the Observatory, at least 117 journalists, media workers, and other media-sector staff were displaced from Mocha and surrounding areas. The total covers all categories referenced in this briefing, including 15 independent journalists (freelancers) and nine women journalists and media workers.

The overall figure remains preliminary and may change as MARSADAK continues to verify the full list of displaced journalists and media workers.

The displacement occurred abruptly, with some journalists and staff members of media institutions receiving instructions to leave within a short period as the situation on the ground deteriorated and the Houthi group advanced towards Mocha and surrounding areas.

Testimonies collected by the Observatory indicate that journalists left Mocha and surrounding areas only hours before the group entered, fearing arrest or detention in view of the risks they anticipated as a result of their media work. Many were unable to make arrangements for their departure or take their personal belongings and professional equipment with them.

Published testimonies by journalists who were inside Mocha describe a situation marked by chaos, fear, and difficulties in securing transportation, amid a large-scale movement of civilians and military personnel leaving the city. Some journalists were forced to spend hours searching for transportation that would enable them to leave.

ALJOUMHOURIYA TV’s local studio in Mocha ceased operations on the evening of 9 September 2026 as a result of 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 by the Houthi group following its entry into the city.

The channel's staff were unable to remove the institution's equipment when they left, although they were able to preserve its archive. To date, no detailed inventory is available of the type or value of the equipment that remained inside the premises.

The National Resistance Media Center was also affected by the displacement of a number of its staff members, while correspondents and photographers working for, or contributing to, other media organizations also left Mocha and surrounding areas.

The losses are not limited to media institutions. Journalists reported that they had to leave their homes urgently, leaving behind personal belongings and sources of livelihood. MARSADAK also documented the raiding and looting of the homes of some journalists working in Mocha and surrounding areas, further increasing the economic and humanitarian burden on them and their families.

The departure of independent journalists and correspondents from Mocha and surrounding areas has also resulted in a significant decline in access to independent information from within these areas.

Information collected by the Observatory indicates that reporting from inside Mocha and surrounding areas has become extremely difficult, while journalists based outside the area rely on limited and discreet communication with local contacts to obtain information.

This situation further complicates the independent verification of developments on the ground and limits the ability of media outlets to follow those developments through direct sources.

Journalists displaced from Mocha and surrounding areas are facing difficult living and professional conditions, particularly those who have lost their jobs or whose media institutions have been disrupted and on which they relied as their primary source of income.

Some media workers received limited assistance after arriving in Aden. In some cases, the assistance included temporary accommodation and limited financial support. However, testimonies from journalists indicate that this assistance is insufficient to cover accommodation costs and basic needs over extended periods.

A number of journalists are responsible for supporting their families at a time when the future of their jobs and the institutions for which they worked remains uncertain. Employment opportunities available to journalists are also limited, given the difficult conditions facing media institutions in Yemen.

The total of 117 includes nine women journalists and media workers, all of whom work with ALJOUMHOURIYA TV. This underscores the need to take into account the specific needs of women working in the media sector in the context of displacement and instability.

Interviews with journalists and their testimonies also revealed psychological impacts associated with fear during the departure process, loss of property, and uncertainty regarding employment, income, and the future of their families.

Death of Zakaria Dahman

Zakaria Dahman, who was responsible for the programming schedule at ALJOUMHOURIYA TV, died on 11 September 2026 after arriving in Aden and receiving medical treatment at Shifa Aden Clinic in Khormaksar.

According to information collected by the Observatory, Dahman had diabetes, and his health deteriorated as the security situation worsened amid fear and shelling in Mocha, before he left the city with his wife.

Testimonies from his colleagues link the deterioration in his health to the stress associated with the escalating situation and displacement. However, the medical report referenced in the information available to the Observatory records the cause of death as cardiac arrest and respiratory arrest.

Methodology

This briefing is based on monitoring and documentation carried out by the Media Freedom Observatory (MARSADAK). The Observatory compiled and verified a list of independent journalists (freelancers) displaced from Mocha and surrounding areas and obtained information from the media institutions covered by this briefing on the number of their displaced journalists and staff.

MARSADAK has not yet completed verification of a full name-by-name list of all displaced journalists and media workers. The overall figure of at least 117 is therefore preliminary, based in part on information provided by the media institutions concerned, and remains subject to change as verification continues. The 15 independent journalists (freelancers) included in the total were verified directly by the Observatory.

The situation documented by the Media Freedom Observatory reflects urgent humanitarian and professional needs among journalists displaced from Mocha and surrounding areas and their families, particularly in light of the loss of housing and property and the interruption of sources of income for a number of them.

In this context, the Observatory calls on partners and relevant organizations to contribute to: