The United Nations said yesterday that it is deeply “saddened” over the deaths of at least 68 African migrants in US air strikes on the Saada Governorate, northern Yemen, Anadolu reported.
“We are deeply saddened by reports of significant loss of life following the air strike 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 UN’s International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Yemen.
Chiriac said that, contrary to earlier reports, the IOM was not operating at the targeted facility. But she said the organisation is closely monitoring the situation and stands ready to provide support.
She called on all parties to the conflict to prioritise the protection of civilians and ensure full respect for international law.
“It is imperative that every effort be made to avoid harming civilians and protect the most vulnerable in these difficult circumstances.”
On Monday, the Yemeni Houthi group said at least 68 people were killed and 47 others injured in US air strikes on a shelter for African migrants in Yemen’s northern Saada province.
The Houthi-run Interior Ministry said the attacks targeted a shelter centre housing 115 migrants from African nationalities.
Al-Masirah TV reported that one of the US missiles didn’t explode and is being dealt with by expert teams.
There was no immediate comment from the US.
Washington has carried out more than 1,200 air strikes in Yemen since 15 March, killing more than 225 civilians and injuring over 430, mostly women and children, according to Houthi data that excludes losses among their forces.
US President Donald Trump said last month that he had ordered “decisive and powerful military action” against the Houthi group and later threatened to “completely annihilate them.”
The Houthis have targeted ships passing through the Red and Arabian seas, the Bab Al-Mandab Strait and the Gulf of Aden since November 2023 in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where more than 52,000 people have been killed in a brutal Israeli assault for more than 19 months.
The group halted attacks when a Gaza ceasefire was declared in January between Israel and the Palestinian resistance group Hamas but resumed them after Israel renewed air strikes on Gaza last month.
READ: UN migration agency says 20M need aid to survive in Yemen