The intellectual and cultural rights committee – composed of members from the NDC’s Rights and Freedoms Working Group - visited the War Museum in the capital city of Sana’a on Wednesday.

During the visit, the committee heard from museum manager Abid Al-Thawr about challenges which face the museum, including both employee and funds shortages.

Al-Thawr raised the possibility of issuing legislation which would criminalize the theft and sale of antiquities. He also suggested cordoning off heritage areas to prevent people from looting them.

He also demanded that all antiquities be numbered, with relevant statistics published in order to protect them from smugglers in the antiquities trade.

“The authorities should punish those who attack heritage areas and recover all pieces which have already been smuggled to other countries,” Al-Thawr concluded.