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The Saudi/UAE-led Coalition and Other Parties Must Bear Responsibility Toward Civilian Victims in Yemen
Mwatana for Human Rights stated, in a press release issued to mark the eleventh anniversary of the announcement of the start of military operations by the Saudi/UAE-led coalition on March 26, 2015, that tens of thousands of civilian victims across Yemen continue to await an end to the policy of impunity, effective accountability for all crimes committed during the years of conflict, and redress and justice for civilian victims. These are essential foundations for turning the page on the war in Yemen and building a comprehensive, just, and sustainable peace.
Mwatana affirmed that the conflict, now in its eleventh year, has left thousands of civilians dead and injured, caused widespread destruction of infrastructure, led to the collapse of basic services, and resulted in an unprecedented deterioration of humanitarian and economic conditions. This has been driven by violations committed by all parties to the conflict against civilians and civilian objects, including hospitals, schools, bridges, roads, markets, farms, factories, water and electricity facilities, homes, ports, airports, vital civilian infrastructure, and historical and cultural landmarks.
Throughout the years of conflict, Mwatana for Human Rights has documented the responsibility of the Saudi/UAE-led coalition for 1,855 incidents of violations, resulting in the killing of at least 3880 civilians and the injury of at least 4392 Out of a total of 18,761 incidents documented by Mwatana and attributed to various parties to the conflict in Yemen, at least 7,397 civilians were killed, including 2,492 children and 874 women, and 11,017 civilians were injured, including 4,028 children and 1,406 women. In addition, approximately 14,745 civilians were victims of other types of violations, including child recruitment and use, sexual violence, arbitrary detention, and enforced disappearance, as well as attacks on schools and medical facilities and their use for military purposes, violations against press freedom, public freedoms, and civic space, among other abuses.
In addition to the violations for which the Saudi/UAE-led coalition bears responsibility, the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group is responsible for 10,730 incidents out of the total documented cases. The internationally recognized government and Islah Party-affiliated forces are responsible for 3,209 incidents, while the Southern Transitional Council is responsible for 2,525 incidents. The Joint Forces bear responsibility for 405 incidents, terrorist groups for 155 incidents, the United States of America for 37 incidents, Israeli forces for 27 incidents, Eritrean forces for 13 incidents, and the US-UK coalition for 7 incidents.
Radhiya Al-Mutawakel, Chairperson of Mwatana for Human Rights, stated: “Any serious path toward peace in Yemen must begin with acknowledgment of responsibility for violations, justice for victims, an end to the policy of impunity, ensuring victims’ right to reparation and compensation, and holding those responsible accountable in a manner that guarantees non-repetition and lays the groundwork for a just and sustainable peace.”
She added: “The Saudi/UAE-led coalition forces, along with all local, regional, and international parties involved in the conflict to varying degrees, have committed grave violations in Yemen and contributed to deepening the suffering of millions of civilians. They bear legal, moral, and humanitarian responsibilities toward victims that do not lapse with time or neglect under a prevailing climate of impunity. Without genuine commitment to justice and reparations, victims will remain in a state of waiting, and any peace process that disregards their rights will remain fragile and at risk of failure.”
Mwatana renewed its call on the Saudi/UAE-led coalition to assume its legal, moral, and humanitarian responsibilities toward tens of thousands of civilian victims of military operations that targeted civilians and civilian objects, as well as other violations committed by coalition forces and affiliated local formations across Yemen throughout the years of conflict. The organization emphasized that the cessation of military operations since the truce declared on April 2, 2022, represents a genuine opportunity to turn the page on the war in Yemen—beginning with a responsible initiative to acknowledge civilian victims, provide redress, and ensure justice as a foundation for a comprehensive and sustainable peace.
Mwatana further stressed that the United Arab Emirates’ announcement of its military withdrawal from the coalition in late 2025 does not absolve it of its legal responsibilities for violations committed during its participation in military operations, nor for its role in supporting local armed groups implicated in serious violations, including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture, and child recruitment.
Mwatana also called on all local parties—foremost among them the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group, the internationally recognized government, Islah Party-affiliated forces, the Southern Transitional Council, and the Joint Forces—to assume responsibility for violations committed by their forces and affiliated groups against civilians in areas under their control, to immediately cease such violations, to comply with the rules and principles of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and to investigate violations, hold perpetrators accountable, and provide justice and reparations to victims.
Finally, Mwatana called on the international community to uphold its moral and legal responsibilities toward Yemeni civilian victims and to exert serious pressure on all parties to the conflict to engage in a comprehensive and just peace process that places transitional justice, accountability, reparations for victims, and reconstruction at the forefront of its priorities.
