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New U.S. Campaign Targets Civilians and Vital Infrastructure
Mwatana for Human Rights reported that it had verified the killing of at least 138 civilians, including 19 children and 5 women, and the injury of 292 civilians, including at least 10 children and 8 women. Mwatana's field teams documented the targeting of dozens of protected civilian sites, facilities, and vital infrastructure by U.S. fighter jets. These included homes, commercial markets, health facilities, government service offices, industrial facilities, and critical civilian infrastructure across Sana'a, Amanat Al-Asimah, Al Hudaydah, Sa'dah, Ibb, Hajjah, Al-Jawf, and Dhamar — areas under the control of the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group — since the start of the current round of U.S. military operations launched by the Trump administration on March 15, 2025.
Radhya Al-Mutawakel, Chairperson of Mwatana for Human Rights, stated: "For over a decade of armed conflict, Yemeni civilians have been the targets of indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks by warring parties. At a time when they were hoping to see an end to this bloody chapter of their lives, they now find themselves potential targets of U.S. forces' attacks," adding: "The repeated, indiscriminate U.S. attacks on Yemeni civilians have opened a new chapter in an already stained American record, filled with civilian casualties from drone strikes, U.S.-supplied weapons used by the Saudi/UAE-led coalition, and civilian victims of Operation Prosperity Guardian."
Al-Mutawakel further stressed: "This American recklessness stems from the prevailing culture of impunity. The United States has a long history of committing war crimes and grave violations in Yemen and around the world without accountability. This disgraceful reality must change. It is time for investigation, accountability, and reparation."
Examples of U.S. Airstrikes Targeting Civilians in Yemen
On Thursday, April 17, 2025, at approximately 9:30 p.m., U.S. fighter jets carried out several airstrikes on the fuel platform at Ras Isa Port in Al Hudaydah Governorate, western Yemen, killing at least 80 civilians, including two children, and injuring 171 others. The victims included port workers, truck drivers, and first responders who had arrived at the scene following the initial strikes to assist the wounded. The attacks completely destroyed the port’s infrastructure, several fuel transport trucks, and caused significant environmental pollution due to fuel leakage into the sea.
On Sunday, April 13, 2025, at approximately 9:00 p.m., U.S. fighter jets launched three airstrikes on the Al-Sawari Rubber Factory located in the Matnah area of Bani Matar District, Sana’a Governorate. One of the strikes targeted a car used by first responders who had arrived at the scene around 10 minutes after the first strike, resulting in the death of six civilians and the injury of 27 others, including one woman and a first responder. All the casualties were either the factory workers, residents of nearby homes, or patrons of a nearby restaurant—two of the restaurant’s workers were killed, and the owner was injured.
On Sunday, March 23, 2025, at approximately 10:00 p.m., a U.S. airstrike targeted a basement used for storing iron and wood in the Asr area of Ma’in District in Amanat Al-Asimah, killing two civilians, one of them a child, and injuring 12 others, including a young girl who was passing by. Nearby homes and commercial stores were also damaged.
On Monday, March 17, 2025, at around 3:00 a.m., U.S. fighter jets targeted the government complex in Al-Hazm District, Al Jawf Governorate. The strike resulted in the deaths of two individuals and the injury of 10 others, all members of the complex’s security personnel. It also destroyed large parts of the primary court building, the Civil Service Office, the Civil Registry Office, and the central events hall. Several nearby homes were also damaged.
On Wednesday, March 19, 2025, at around 7:30 p.m., U.S. fighter jets carried out two airstrikes targeting a wedding hall in the Al-Hashoush neighborhood of Al-Jiraf area in Shu’ub District, north of the capital Sana'a. The strikes injured three women and a young girl from homes neighboring the hall and destroyed a nearby mask manufacturing facility, in addition to causing extensive damage to surrounding houses.
On Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at approximately 11:00 p.m., U.S. fighter jets launched airstrikes on the Water Corporation facility in Al-Mansuriyah District, Al Hudaydah Governorate, resulting in the killing of three workers, the injury of two others, and extensive damage to the targeted facility.
U.S. fighter jets also targeted a civilian home in the Qahazah area of Sa'dah District, Sa'dah Governorate. On Sunday, March 16, 2025, at around 2:06 a.m., they launched three airstrikes on a civilian home, killing 4 women and 10 children, and injuring 4 others, including 3 children. The attack also caused widespread destruction to two neighboring homes.
On Sunday, April 6, 2025, at around 8:00 p.m., U.S. fighter jets carried out two airstrikes on a home in Sha'b Al-Hafah area of Shu’ub District in Amanat Al-Asimah, killing 4 civilians, including 3 children, and injuring 10 others, including 3 women and a person with a mental disability.
On Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at approximately 7:12 p.m., U.S. fighter jets launched four airstrikes targeting a civilian home in Al-Hawk District, Al Hudaydah Governorate , resulting in the killing of 12 civilians and the injury of 16 others, including 4 children.
On Saturday, March 15, 2025, at approximately 8:15 p.m., U.S. fighter jets launched five airstrikes targeting a home in Bir Zaid neighborhood of Al-Jiraf area, Shu’ub District, north of Amanat Al-Asimah. The strikes injured two civilians, including a woman from neighboring houses, and caused extensive damage to surrounding homes and commercial shops.
U.S. Attacks Against Civilians in Light of International Law
The attacks carried out by U.S. forces against civilians in Yemen violate the principles of distinction, necessity, proportionality, and humanity — fundamental pillars of international humanitarian law. These principles obligate parties to an armed conflict to distinguish between civilians and combatants, as well as between civilian objects and military objectives, and to avoid harming civilian lives and property.
The deliberate targeting and high civilian casualties resulting from U.S. airstrikes on residential homes, markets, ports, factories, and critical infrastructure indicate violations of Articles 48, 50, 51, 52, and 57 of the Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, as well as Customary International Humanitarian Law Rules 1, 14, and 15. These provisions require distinction between civilians and combatants, prohibit indiscriminate attacks against civilian populations and objects, and mandate that all feasible precautions be taken to minimize civilian harm.
Furthermore, the high number of casualties — 138 civilians killed and 292 injured — underscores that these airstrikes were indiscriminate and failed to uphold the protections owed to civilians under Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions. Moreover, the recurrent nature of these airstrikes, from March to April 2025, may constitute potential war crimes under Article 8 of the Rome Statute.
Although neither the United States nor Yemen are States Parties to the Rome Statute, these violations nonetheless trigger obligations under the Geneva Conventions, the Additional Protocol I, and customary international humanitarian law, all of which both the United States and the Republic of Yemen are bound by. This highlights the urgent need for legal accountability, impartial investigations, and effective remedies for victims in accordance with international law.
Call for Investigation, Accountability, and Reparations
Mwatana for Human Rights called on the international community — including the United Nations, key states, various human rights bodies, the U.S. Senate, and relevant U.S. institutions — to work towards the immediate and independent investigation of all indiscriminate U.S. attacks against civilians and civilian objects in Yemen, including the strikes on Ras Isa Port, civilian homes, and public markets. It further called for concerted efforts to end the brutal conduct of U.S. forces and the atrocities and violations committed against civilians in Yemen and other regions, and to contribute meaningfully to ending the prevailing culture of impunity by ensuring accountability for perpetrators, providing redress for victims, and promoting international accountability and justice.
Mwatana for Human Rights emphasized that the information and examples presented in this statement represent only what its field team has been able to document to date. Its field team continues to work to document civilian harm resulting from U.S. attacks across wide areas of Yemen, despite increasing field challenges and risks. Since the first day of the U.S. airstrikes, Mwatana’s field team has been working to document attacks that resulted in civilian casualties and other civilian harm.
Edited on May 9th, 2025.
