Yemeni Observatory for Human Rights

What Yemeni Observatory for Human Rights does

Yemeni Observatory for Human Rights (YOHR) is a Sana'a-headquartered non-profit civil society organization founded in 2009, with additional offices in Aden (Yemen) and Cairo (Egypt). It monitors, documents, and reports on human rights conditions across civil, political, economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights domains in Yemen. Its portfolio of programs includes a corruption and violations reporting platform, a comprehensive legal reference database of Yemeni national legislation and international human rights conventions, a Women's Center, an Environmental Rights program, training and capacity building initiatives, and civil coexistence and peacebuilding projects targeting marginalized communities such as the Al-Muhamasheen in Taiz governorate.

YOHR delivers these services through a website-based knowledge platform (yohr.org) that hosts reports, statements, and downloadable resources, supplemented by social media presence (Facebook, Twitter), international conferences, and direct community engagement. Its core technology is essentially a content-publishing and incident-reporting website; no proprietary AI, software product, or commercial technology stack is described. The organization is governed by a Board of Trustees, a Consultative Council, and a network of researchers, with a new Board Chairman (Dr. Abdullah Awbal) and Executive Director (Dr. Mounir Al-Saqaf) appointed in April 2025.

The organization generates no commercial revenue. Its funding comes entirely from grants and project-specific funding from international development agencies and foundations, including the EU, GIZ, UNDP, USAID, Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Friedrich-Naumann Foundation, the National Endowment for Democracy, IDRC, the Danish Institute for Human Rights, Oxfam, and the Future Foundation. YOHR is a founding board member of the Arab Watch Coalition and a member of the Arab NGOs Network for Development, the Regional Network for Reconciliation and Forgiveness, and Transparency International's anti-corruption network. All reports, statements, and training outputs are distributed free of charge as public goods.

Name

Yemeni Observatory for Human Rights

Legal name

المرصد اليمني لحقوق الإنسان (Yemeni Observatory for Human Rights)

Website

https://yohr.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Yemeni Observatory for Human Rights (YOHR) is a Sana'a-based non-profit founded in 2009 that monitors, documents, and reports on human rights violations in Yemen, serving civil society organizations, marginalized communities, and women through grant-funded advocacy, training, and policy research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Human Rights Advocacy Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Rights Monitoring, Documentation & Advocacy (BPADAGAK)

Keywords

• Human rights monitoring
• Civil society advocacy
• Human rights documentation
• Anti-corruption reporting
• Peacebuilding programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Sana'a

HQ country

Yemen

HQ region

Middle East

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Grants and funding from international development organizations: YOHR is a nonprofit civil society organization that operates on funding and grants from international development agencies, governments, and foundations. The organization lists multiple international partners including EU, GIZ, UNDP, USAID, Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Friedrich-Naumann Foundation, NED, IDRC, Danish Institute for Human Rights, Future Foundation, Oxfam, and others. No commercial revenue streams are described.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Yemeni Observatory for Human Rights (YOHR) is a non-profit civil society organization that monitors, documents, and reports on human rights violations across civil, political, economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights domains in Yemen. It operates an online corruption and violations reporting platform, publishes research and policy studies, maintains a legal reference database of Yemeni legislation and international human rights conventions, runs training and capacity building programs for civil society, and implements peacebuilding programs for marginalized communities.

Product overview

The Yemeni Observatory for Human Rights (YOHR) operates as a non-profit civil society organization focused on human rights monitoring, documentation, and advocacy in Yemen. The organization provides a comprehensive portfolio of services including human rights violations monitoring and documentation, an online corruption and violations reporting platform, published research and policy studies, a legal reference database of Yemeni legislation and international conventions, a specialized women's rights center, environmental rights programming, training and capacity building initiatives, and civil coexistence and peacebuilding programs. The organization also maintains video libraries and photo galleries documenting human rights activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 2,591 participants from over 1,100 NGOs in more than 150 countries trained through Global Financing Week 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYOHR cooperates with DIHR on human rights research and capacity building programs in Yemen.
• Transparency International (TI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYOHR partners with Transparency International on anti-corruption initiatives and advocacy in Yemen.
• World Bank Info Center (BIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYOHR worked with BIC on training and advocacy around World Bank accountability mechanisms. YOHR filed a complaint with the World Bank Inspection Panel following BIC-organized training.
• Arab NGOs Network for Development (ANND)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYOHR is part of the Arab NGOs Network for Development, participating in regional civil society activities, publishing monthly newsletters, and contributing to policy research on sustainable development.
• Arab Watch Coalition / Regional Coalition for Fair Development (AWC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYOHR is a founding member and board member of the Arab Watch Coalition (AWC), working on issues of debt, IMF/World Bank policies, and austerity in the Arab region. YOHR contributed to the coalition's Global Financing Week 2024 and other regional campaigns.
• Egyptian Youth CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYOHR cooperates with the Egyptian Youth Council on training programs, including a course in Cairo on civilian protection during security and military operations. The two organizations signed a cooperation protocol and met in Cairo to activate joint programs.
• Arab Network for Tolerance (ANT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYOHR implemented joint projects with the Arab Network for Tolerance (ANT) on tolerance and peaceful coexistence in Yemen.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Arab NGOs Network for Development (ANND): Regional network of Arab CSOs focused on sustainable development policy and advocacy. YOHR is a member; comparable as a peer CSO platform engaging on policy research and coalition advocacy in the Arab region.
• Arab Watch Coalition (AWC): Regional coalition on IFI accountability and economic/social rights in the Arab region, of which YOHR is a founding member. Directly comparable in advocacy targeting World Bank, IMF, and austerity policies.

Regional players

• Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS): Regional Arab human rights organization with regional monitoring programs and international advocacy. Comparable as a pan-Arab HR organization with similar accountability and documentation functions.
• Gulf Center for Human Rights (GCHR): Regional human rights organization supporting HR defenders in MENA, including Yemen. Comparable in defending activists, issuing urgent appeals, and operating in restricted civic spaces.

Broad incumbents

• Human Rights Watch: Global HR organization that publishes international reports on Yemen cited by YOHR. Comparable in HR documentation, reporting, and international advocacy, but at vastly larger scale.
• Amnesty International: Global HR organization with extensive Yemen reporting. Comparable in human rights monitoring, advocacy, and civil society support work, but operates globally with much larger resources.
• Transparency International (Yemen chapter / TI): Global anti-corruption organization, with YOHR as a partner on anti-corruption initiatives in Yemen. Comparable through overlapping anti-corruption, governance, and accountability program areas.

Direct peers

• SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties: Yemeni human rights NGO monitoring press freedoms, arbitrary detention, and civil liberties. Directly comparable to YOHR in Yemen-focused advocacy, documentation, and international partnership model.
• Mwatana for Human Rights: Leading Yemeni human rights organization conducting field documentation, advocacy, and reporting on violations in Yemen. Direct peer given overlapping Yemen-based HR monitoring mandate and international donor base.
• National Organization for Defending Rights and Freedoms (HOOD): Yemeni NGO focused on human rights documentation, advocacy, and supporting victims of violations. Direct peer operating in same geography with similar monitoring and reporting functions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ObservatoryYem
• Facebookfacebook.com/yohr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yemeni-observatory-for-human-rights

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Yemeni Observatory for Human Rights