CIMP Monthly Report

July saw an increase in casualty numbers, but a drop in the fatality rate
A total of 147 civilians were killed and injured during July, up by around 30% compared to June (120). Around a quarter of that number (38) were fatalities, the lowest mortality rate caused by armed violence since March, when 62 civilians were killed. However, the number of children and women casualties increased by 50%, from 20 in June to 30 in July, including 18 children and 12 women. A third of the children and women killed and injured (11) during July were caused by shelling. In fact, shelling has now caused more children and women casualties (42) so far this year than any other type of armed violence except airstrikes (76), followed by weapons cache explosions (25), then hand grenade incidents (20).

Airstrikes continued to impact infrastructure sites
The aerial campaign in the north continued to strike infrastructure sites in Al Hudaydah during July. Two rounds of airstrikes were reported on 6 and 21 July, hitting the seaport in Al Hudaydah city, the Ras Isa oil terminal, and As Salif port, the latter two in As Salif district to the north of the governorate capital. Strikes also targeted a power station in the Ras Al Katib area in Al Hudaydah city. Despite the damage, there were no casualties as a result of the bombings. Reports also indicated that the flow of commodities and fuel has continued, albeit at lower levels compared to the same period last year.

As long as the Red Sea insecurity remains, it is likely that airstrikes will continue to hit major infrastructure sites in the north, with the primary focus remaining on Al Hudaydah. However, with regional escalation on the rise, it is assessed that the possibility of a sustained aerial campaign in Yemen is low, but if the regional tensions decrease while the issues in the Red Sea persist, then the likelihood of an increase in the intensity of airstrikes will rise.

Almost half of all civilian casualties caused by frontline violence
Frontlines continued to witness frequent incidences of armed violence during July, in particular in Sadah and Taizz, where over 95% (98) of all the frontline civilian casualties (102) were reported. A total of 37 civilian casualties were recorded in Taizz from frontline hostilities; 24 of the victims were in a single incident when drone strikes hit a fuel station in Taizz city, causing a series of explosions that damaged nearby houses. The incident marked the highest number of civilian casualties in a drone strike since CIMP started reporting in 2018.

Another high casualty incident was caused by shelling in the northern outskirts of Taizz city, where 5 children were killed after heavy fire hit a house. The total casualty toll in Taizz in July (38) was the highest in the governorate in almost three years, since a similar casualty count was recorded in October 2022. It is unclear if the uptick in July will continue in the coming months, but there have been no indications that hostilities will increase, at least not in the short term.

Meanwhile, in Sadah, 66 civilian casualties were reported in July, making up over half (54%) of the total casualty count in the month. The northern districts bordering Saudi Arabia were the focus of the majority of the hostilities, with almost daily reports of heavy and light weapons fire hitting civilians and civilian structures. The border violence looks set to continue in Sadah into the next month, although there have been indications that the near-daily reporting on the ground may slow in the near future.

Shootings caused a further 10% of the total civilian deaths and injuries
Isolated shootings related to checkpoint violence, crossfire between armed factions, and disputes and personal grievances accounted for 15 casualties in July, a notable two-thirds (67%) decrease compared to the previous month, when 46 civilians were reported dead or injured due to small arms fire. The number of shooting victims recorded in July is also significantly lower than the average so far this year (28) and the fewest since April, when 9 civilians were reported dead or wounded because of shootings.

Isolated firing from light weapons unrelated to frontline fighting, meanwhile, caused 4 civilian casualties, including 1 child and 3 women. The casualties were reported in two separate incidents in Dhamar and Raymah, neither of which has been a recent frontline. Both incidents, though, occurred during local security campaigns, which have often resulted in harm to civilians. The highest number of victims in a single incident of small arms fire was reported in Amran, where 3 worshippers were shot dead inside a mosque.

Although small arms victims decreased in July, more civilians have been impacted by shootings in the first seven months of this year (196) than during the same period in 2024 (168). Additionally, SAF has now caused the third most civilian casualties this year (196) after airstrikes (782) and frontline violence (264). As such, it is assessed that the decline in July is likely temporary and shooting incidents may rebound in the coming period.

Protest-related violence escalated in Hadramawt
July saw an increase in protests in the south in relation to the failure of basic services and the authorities' inability to bring commodity prices down. Although demonstrations had been on the rise throughout the previous three months, protest-related violence came to a boiling point during the last week of July, when 1 civilian was shot dead in Tarim in central Hadramawt and 2 more were shot and injured in Al Mukalla City, the governorate capital, as security personnel used live ammunition to try to disperse crowds.

Separately, trucks carrying construction materials were blocked from entering Sanaa city from the start of the month amid demands that the truck owners pay additional fees, leading the drivers to hold a sit-in to protest against the new charges at a checkpoint in the eastern outskirts of the city. However, after weeks of protests, a truck driver was shot dead on 30 July following an attempt to breach a perimeter set up by the authorities in Bani Hushaysh district. The incident marked the first time in CIMP records that a civilian has been shot dead during a protest on the outskirts of Sanaa city.

The shootings in Hadramawt and Sanaa marked the first instances of deadly protest-related violence this year. Despite the heavy-handed response from the authorities, the protests are likely to continue in the south, and the unrest could escalate unless the situation improves, bringing with it a persistent risk of a violent reaction from the security forces.

ERW incidents increased in July, but ERW casualties significantly lower than previous year
Casualties as a result of ERW incidents almost doubled in July (15) compared to the month before (8), but the total is still among the lowest monthly ERW tolls recorded this year. The number was slightly below the average monthly ERW casualties for the year (17), and more than a third lower (39%) than the rate for the same period last year (28). So far, in 2025, there has been a 41% drop in casualties from ERW (116) in the first half of the year compared to the first six months of 2024, when a total of 196 casualties were recorded. But, even with the decrease, ERW still pose a threat to civilians, especially in previous frontline areas in Al Hudaydah and Al Jawf, in addition to Sadah, Taizz, Marib, and Sanaa, and other former active fronts in the ground war. Furthermore, non-frontline areas can also be at risk from ERW as devices drift or warning signs are washed away by heavy rain, flooding, and landslides, particularly amid the ongoing rainy season.

60 households estimated to be displaced by armed violence
An estimated 60 households were displaced by armed violence in July, up by around one third (36%) compared to the month before, when 44 households were forcibly displaced. Excluding the escalation period between March and May, this month marked the highest estimated displacement rate since the start of the year. Taizz (21 households) and Sadah (10 households) were the central locations in which civilians were displaced, mainly due to frontline violence. As noted above, the armed violence in both governorates will likely continue to drive displacement in the coming period, but the rate of violence against civilian dwellings could decrease as one or more of the frontline areas quiet down, leading to lower levels of forced civilian relocation.