By Agence France-Presse
The United Nations expressed deep alarm on Monday, April 28, at reports that U.S. strikes on Yemen killed scores of people at a migrant detention center in a stronghold of the Houthi rebels.
The U.S. military has hammered the Iran-backed Houthis with near-daily strikes since March 15 in an operation dubbed “Rough Rider”, seeking to end their attacks on vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Houthi-controlled media said the latest strikes on the movement’s stronghold of Saada killed at least 68 people, with all Africans being held at a “center for illegal migrants.” A U.S. defense official said the military was looking into the reports.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the world body was “deeply alarmed” by the reported strikes and urged “all parties” to protect civilians.
“We are saddened by the tragic loss of life where many of these migrants are believed to have been killed and injured,” Dujarric added in a statement, without mentioning the United States.
He said that, according to preliminary information, 68 migrants had been killed and another 48 injured in the overnight strikes.
AFP could not independently confirm the toll or the claim that the strikes had hit a migrant center.
The U.S. defense official said that the military was “aware of the claims of civilian casualties related to the U.S. strikes in Yemen, and we take those claims very seriously.”
“We are currently conducting our battle-damage assessment and inquiry into those claims,” the official added on condition of anonymity.
On Sunday, April 27, the U.S. said it had hit more than 800 targets in Yemen since mid-March, killing hundreds, including Houthi leaders.
Hours later, Houthi media said the latest barrage by U.S. forces had hit the migrant detention center. The Houthis’ Al-Masirah TV showed footage of bodies stuck under the rubble and of rescuers working to help the casualties.
‘Avoid civilian casualties’
After the strikes, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) called on parties to “take every feasible precaution to avoid civilian casualties.”
“It is unthinkable that while people are detained and have nowhere to escape, they can also be caught in the line of fire,” said Christine Cipolla, head of the ICRC’s delegation in Yemen.
UN’s migration agency, the IOM, said it was closely monitoring the situation but noted the facility in question was not managed by their personnel.
Each year, tens of thousands of migrants brave the Red Sea route from the Horn of Africa, seeking to escape conflict, natural disasters, and poor economic prospects by sailing towards the oil-rich Gulf.
Many hope for employment as laborers or domestic workers in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab countries, though they face a perilous journey through war-torn Yemen.
The U.S. strikes are in response to attacks by the Houthis targeting Israeli and Western vessels in the Red Sea in what the rebels describe as solidarity with the Palestinians, starting shortly after Hamas conducted the worst-ever attack on Israel in October 2023.
The Houthi attacks have forced many shipping companies into a costly detour around the tip of southern Africa instead of passing through the Suez Canal — a vital route that normally carries about 12 percent of global trade.
In a statement that provided its most detailed account of the operation so far, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), responsible for the Middle East, said it had “struck over 800 targets” in Yemen, killing “hundreds of Houthi fighters and numerous Houthi leaders.”
“The strikes have destroyed multiple command-and-control facilities, air defense systems, advanced weapons manufacturing facilities, and advanced weapons storage locations,” CENTCOM said.
‘We will continue’
Despite the strikes, the Houthis, who control large swathes of Yemen, have continued to claim attacks against both U.S. vessels and Israel.
In a statement on Monday, April 28, the Houthis said they had responded to the latest “attacks and massacres against civilians” by targeting the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier with “several cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and drones.”
Iran, which backs the Houthis, condemned the U.S. strikes, with foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei calling attacks “on civilian targets… a war crime.”
The United States first began conducting strikes against the Houthis under former President Joe Biden’s administration, but they have intensified under his successor, Donald Trump.
CENTCOM said that “our operations have degraded the pace and effectiveness of their attacks,” which are only possible “with the backing of the Iranian regime.”
“We will continue to ratchet up the pressure until the objective is met, which remains the restoration of freedom of navigation and American deterrence in the region,” it added.
The U.S. Navy said that a warplane went overboard into the Red Sea as a result of an accident on the USS Harry S. Truman, adding that the incident was under investigation.
