ANSAR ALLAH/HOUTHI MOVEMENT
Ta’iz Governorate
On January 22, Houthi fighters killed twelve people when they fired rockets at a parade being held by special security forces, including two journalists covering the event. This violates Rule 34 of Customary IHL.
Najran City, Saudi Arabia
On January 21, the Saudi coalition said that it had intercepted and destroyed a missile directed towards Najran City, Saudi Arabia, “in order to deliberately target civilian and populated areas,” according to a coalition spokesperson. This violates IHL Chapter 3 and Chapter 6.
Ibb Governorate
On January 20, SAM Organization of Rights and Liberties released a report confirming that the death of detainee Ali Mohammed Aaidh Al-Tweeti in a Houthi detention center was the result of severe and inhumane torture. SAM estimates that during the past three years, 120 abductees have died due to torture inside Houthi prisons. Torture and cruel or inhuman treatment violates Rule 90 of Customary IHL.
San’a Governorate
On January 2, Houthi authorities sentenced Hamid Haydara to death, a Baha’i man who allegedly spied for Israel. Five Baha’is are currently detained in Yemen, which Amnesty International claims is part of a wider crackdown on members of the Baha’i community. Hamid Haydara’s death sentence violates Rule 90 of Customary IHL.
YEMENI GOVERNMENT AND SAUDI-LED COALITION
Countrywide Reports about 2017
On January 19, Al Jazeera reported that the Saudi-led coalition killed 68 children and wounded 36 others from July to September 2017, according to excerpts from a report sent to the UN Secretary General.
A UN report on human rights abuses related to foreign intervention in Yemen details the extensive civilian casualties inflicted by the Saudi-led coalition's air attacks. The UN panel examined 10 air attacks in 2017 that killed 157 people, and found that the targets included a migrant boat, a night market, five residential buildings, a motel, a vehicle and government forces, according to a copy of the report shown to Al Jazeera. This violates IHL Chapter 3 and Chapter 6.
More than 32,000 people have been forced to flee their homes over the course of two months, the United Nations says, due to the continued campaign led by Saudi Arabia that has also claimed thousands of lives. The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) warned in a statement that an increase in airstrikes paired with deadly weather had made the dire situation worse.
Hajjah Governorate
On January 1, Saba News reported that three civilians were killed and five others wounded when the warplanes launched three airstrikes on civilians’ houses in Shaghderah district. This violates IHL Chapter 3 and 6.
Ma’rib Governorate
On January 1, a citizen was killed in an airstrike targeting his motorbike in al-Zaydi village of Serwah district. This violates IHL Chapter 6.
Al-Jawf Governorate
On January 8, a cameraman for the Houthis’e al-Masirah television network was killed in a Saudi coalition airstrike. This violates IHL Customary Law Rule 34.
Sa’dah Governorate
On January 22, Saudi-led coalition aircraft struck a building in the Sohar District that housed a clinic, killing seven civilians, five of them children, residents said. This violates Customary IHL Rule 28 and IHL Chapter 3 and 6.
On January 23, at least nine civilians, including four children, were killed in a Saudi-led coalition air strike in the Aal Ali region of Razeh district in western Saada province. This violates Customary IHL Chapter 6.
Al-Hudaydah Governorate
On January 1, at least twenty three people were killed when the Saudi-led coalition launched a series of airstrikes on a petrol station and a crowded market in the city of Hudaydah. This violates IHL Chapter 3 and Chapter 6.
On January 5, the Saudi-led coalition carried out nine overnight air raids on positions of the Houthi rebels, resulting in the deaths of 36 rebels and 12 civilians, according to sources at four hospitals in the provincial capital. This violates Customary IHL Chapter 3 and Chapter 6.
COALITION AND SOUTHERN RESISTANCE FORCES
Aden Governorate
On 28 January, fighting erupted between pro-government forces and Southern Resistance Forces in Aden. Thirty-six people have reportedly been killed and 185 have been wounded. While it is unclear how many of these are civilian casualties, Human Rights Watch reported that a family home was struck, wounding three children. Endangering civilian populations or using indiscriminate attacks in populated areas violates Customary IHL Chapter 3 and 6.
On January 31, the United Nations released a statement expressing concern for more than 40,000 displaced Yemenis who had sought refuge in Aden, saying it had been unable to distribute aid since southern separatists took control of most of the city during the weekend. Preventing civilians from accessing humanitarian relief violates Rule 55 of IHL Customary Law.
UNITED STATES
Shabwa Governorate
On January 28, a US drone attack killed at least seven civilians in the southern province of Shabwa. This violates IHL Chapter 6.