In Yemen, more than 50 Christians have been arrested and 43 abducted by Houthi rebels in January 2026 alone, according to a Christian charity.
Open Doors have revealed that believers have been taken from the streets to secret locations where they are interrogated and tortured until they give up information, which is said to be possibly about other Christians.
Daniel Hodge, Yemen expert at Open Doors said the situation has created "lots of fear" , and people are fleeing the area because they are "afraid that the Houthis are after them as well".
In an interview with Premier Christian News, Hodge explained that Christians in the country are unclear about the motivation behind the attacks but some have speculated that this may be an attempt for the Iran-backed Houthis to bolster their reputation after recent unrest in Iran.
He said: "In the Quran it says that anyone who turns their back on their God is called an apostate and can be punished by death. So, it might be a religious conviction".
They might want to "clean the land of anyone" that doesn't share their ideology, he added.
The country is number three on the World Watch List, and has already proven to be challenging for Christians, according to its 2026 report.
Hodge explained that he has not seen anything like this "in the last 30 years of the church history in Yemen".
Last week, some families reported finally hearing from their loved ones who had been able to call from prison to ask for food and clothing.
Hodge said "Open Doors have stood with the church" in Yemen by providing medical aid, food and clothing, as well as training local church leaders.
He has urged Christians around the world to lift the nation in prayer, adding: "Prayer is the only thing we can do at this moment."
"Prayer, for the families, prayer for those who are in prison. Pray that they will heal from their physical wounds, prayer for those who are very fearful these days and also pray that God will raise up new leaders".
Above all, he asked for prayer that "in the middle of this situation, the blessings and glory of Christ might be revealed to the Yemenis."