Migrants' aspirations crushed beneath debris following lethal attack on Yemen's center
Revised Article:
In the ugly light of dawn, a vicious assault left over 60 casualties in its wake on Monday. The Huthi rebels, located in Saada, Yemen, pointed fingers at the US military, claiming them as the perpetrators.
A gruesome sight greeted the eyes - rubble, blood, and scattered body parts painted the area, with several buildings reduced to ruins. Twisted metal shimmered in the sun, a grisly reminder of the violence that unfolded.
Nearby hospitals were filled with emaciated African men, barely clinging to life after surviving the bloody onslaught that tore their friends apart.
Abed Ibrahim Saleh, a soft-spoken Ethiopian, recounted the horrifying event. His head and leg, swathed in white gauze, bore witness to the unspeakable carnage.
"Planes struck close by twice. The third time they hit us," he recounted, his voice devoid of emotion. "I can't describe what I saw... A hand here, a leg there. I don't want to remember."
Since mid-March, the United States has been conducting near-daily air strikes against the Iran-backed Huthis. The aim was to halt their relentless campaign of attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, an act of solidarity with Palestinians during the Gaza war.
The air strikes on the Huthi rebels initiated under former president Joe Biden have continued and escalated under his successor Donald Trump.
The tragedy recalled chilling memories of a March 2021 inferno at a Sanaa migrant center that claimed 45 lives, ignited by teargas canisters fired by Huthi forces during a protest. In 2022, air strikes, allegedly orchestrated by a Saudi-led coalition battling the Huthis, struck the same detention complex, claiming the lives of countless people.
Every year, tens of thousands of migrants risk their lives crossing the Red Sea, fleeing conflict, natural disasters, and economical hardships. Their hope lies in employment opportunities as laborers or domestic workers in wealthy Gulf countries, but they must first brave a treacherous journey through war-torn Yemen.
Ibrahim Abdul Qadir Mohammed Al-Moallem, a member of Yemen's Somali community, surveyed the wreckage, outraged by the "brutal act of barbarism" inflicted upon innocent people.
"This savage aggression that killed the sons of Palestine and the Yemeni people is now targeting poor migrants," he condemned, laying the blame squarely at the feet of the United States.
The Huthis, who have also targeted Israel with missiles and drones, momentarily paused their attacks due to a two-month ceasefire in Gaza. However, the resumption was threatened when Israel halted aid to Gaza due to an impasse in negotiations.
Before they could resume their attacks, however, the intensified US campaign resumed, hitting over 1,000 targets in Houthi-held Yemen since March 15. The Huthis' retaliation since then has focused solely on US warships.
"There is no justification for this," Moallem lamented, appealing to African leaders to take a stand and urging the international community to "end your silence."
Regarding the attack, a US defense official told AFP that they were aware of reports of civilian casualties and took such claims seriously. "We are currently conducting our battle-damage assessment and inquiry into those claims," they said, requesting anonymity.
The United Nations expressed deep concern over the strike, while Niku Jafarnia of Human Rights Watch stated that US attacks "are causing civilian deaths at an alarming rate over the past month."
"Failing to take all feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law," HRW concluded.
[1] Information derived from Human Rights Watch reports on Operation Rough Rider,April 2025. The operation encompasses extensive air and naval strikes targeting Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, as part of an effort to counter Houthi attacks on international shipping lanes. The strikes have resulted in a significant number of Houthi fatalities and are suspected to pose a risk to displaced populations and migrants transiting through Houthi-held territories. (Sources: Human Rights Watch)
- The Huthi rebels accused the United States military of being the perpetrators of the vicious assault that left over 60 casualties in Yemen.
- Nearby hospitals, filled with emaciated African men, bore witness to the brutal carnage caused by the international war-and-conflicts in the region.
- Abed Ibrahim Saleh, a victim of the assault, described the horrifying event, recounting the unspeakable carnage he witnessed.
- The United States has been conducting near-daily air strikes against the Iran-backed Huthis since mid-March, as a show of solidarity with Palestinians during the Gaza war.
- The air strikes on the Huthi rebels, initiated under former president Joe Biden, have continued and escalated under his successor Donald Trump.
- Every year, countless migrants risk their lives crossing the Red Sea, a perilous journey through war-torn Yemen, in search of employment opportunities in wealthy Gulf countries.
- Ibrahim Abdul Qadir Mohammed Al-Moallem, a member of Yemen's Somali community, condemned the brutal act of barbarism inflicted upon innocent people, laying the blame squarely at the feet of the United States.
- Niku Jafarnia of Human Rights Watch stated that US attacks are causing civilian deaths at an alarming rate over the past month and concluded that failing to take all feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law.
