U.S. strike on Yemen kills dozens at migrant detention center, Houthis say
Sanaa, YEMEN — A U.S. airstrike that hit a detention center for African migrants in Yemen has killed at least 68 people and injured 47 others, the country’s Houthi rebels said Monday.
U.S. Central Command, responsible for all military operations in the Middle East, has not issued any comment.
International humanitarian organizations expressed concern following the reports of heavy casualties at the facility in the city of Saada, in northern Yemen.
“We are deeply saddened by reports of significant loss of life following the airstrike on a migrant facility in Sa’dah. Many migrants are believed to have been killed or injured, with reports from the ground indicating that the death toll continues to rise,” said Monica Chiriac, a media officer with the U.N.’s International Organization for Migration in Yemen.
Chiriac said that, contrary to earlier reports, the IOM was not operating at the targeted facility. But she said the organization is closely monitoring the situation and stands ready to provide support.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said teams from the Yemen Red Crescent Society are on the ground, evacuating the wounded to hospitals and “ensuring the dignified management of the deceased.”
The ICRC added that it remains in constant communication with relevant parties to assess the situation and respond to urgent humanitarian needs.
Houthi-controlled ministries said earlier 115 migrants were being detained at the site in Saada province at the time of the early morning attack on Monday.
The rebel-affiliated Al-Masirah TV reported rescue and emergency teams are facing difficulties “due to the massive destruction caused by the American strike on the detention center.”
The report also said one of the missiles did not explode upon impact at the targeted location, and that specialized teams are handling it with extreme caution.
The Interior Ministry of the Houthi government, which is not internationally recognized, condemned “the heinous crime committed by the American aggression by targeting the shelter center for irregular migrants.”
The ministry said that the centre was under the supervision of the U.N.’s International Organization for Migration and the Red Cross, “and was housing 115 migrants, all of African nationalities.”
Migrants, especially from Ethiopia, often travel through war-wracked Yemen on a dangerous journey to Saudi Arabia, where they hope to find work and a better life.
The United States resumed its military operations against the Houthis in Yemen in March, after a two-month pause, following the Iran-backed Houthis’ announcement that they would once again block the passage of Israeli ships in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea.
—————