CIMP Monthly Report - August 2023

Civilian casualties increase for second month in a row
For the second consecutive month, the number of civilian casualties reported across Yemen as a direct result of armed violence increased, up to 131 in August, from 128 in July. The total was, however, lower than the average seen throughout the first five months of the year. Despite the overall increase, the number of fatalities among the casualties decreased to 42, down from 52 in July. The number of children among the casualties remained similar to last month, at 32, while the number of women among the casualties increased to 13 from 11. Shellfire was responsible for the highest number of civilian casualties in August, at 45, including 26 as a result of border violence in western Sa’dah, and another 17 on account of a mass casualty shelling incident in Ta’izz. Sa’dah saw more civilian casualties than any other governorate, at 34, followed by 33 in Ta’izz.

More than half of the shelling casualties in August were the result of border violence in western Sa’dah
Shellfire was reported to have resulted in 45 civilian casualties over the past month, the highest monthly total to be seen from shelling since April, and more than double the 20 civilian shelling casualties reported in July. Among the 45, more than half (26) were reported in Sa’dah, where border violence persisted for another month in the western districts of Shada’a, Monabbih, Razih and Qatabir. Five of the casualties were fatalities. Another eight casualties were reported on account of border shootings, the weight of which were reported in Al-Thabit. The number of civilian casualties reported in the Sa’dah border areas increased in August, up to 34, having seen 20 civilian casualties in each of June and July. While Shada’a district continues to see the majority of reported casualties, on account of near-daily reports of shellfire, the past month saw an increase in Qatabir district, in Al-Thabit area specifically, where seven casualties were reported. This is the second highest monthly casualty count in the district on CIMP records. Moreover, although numbers remain unconfirmed, at least five migrants were reported among the casualties on the western Sa’dah border.

Mass casualty shelling incident results in 17 civilian casualties in Ta’izz
Another 17 civilian shelling casualties were reported in Ta’izz, which is the highest monthly casualty count reported in the governorate on account of shellfire in over a year. All 17 casualties, however, were the result of one incident. On 24 August, five civilians were killed, including four children, and another 12 were injured, including six children and four women, when shellfire hit a house in Al-Akhdu area in Maqbanah. The incident highlights the direct threat to civilians when residential areas are impacted by remote violence, especially in instances where homes sustain damage. This is the second mass casualty shelling incident to be reported in western Ta’izz this year; in April, three civilians were killed, including a woman and a child, and another nine were injured when shellfire hit houses in Al-Majash Al-Ala in Mawza. Since the UN-mediated countrywide truce entered into force in April 2022, Ta’izz has seen four mass casualty incidents as a result of shellfire hitting residential areas, including two in central Ta’izz city in May and July last year, and the two in western Ta’izz this year.

Four separate hand grenade incidents result in 14 civilian casualties in Aden
Hand grenade incidents resulted in 16 civilian casualties in August, the second highest monthly grenade casualty count this year. The casualties were the result of five separate grenade attacks, four of which were in Aden. Unlike recent months, none of the incidents were the result of devices being mishandled. In the incident to see the highest casualty numbers, on 2 August, eight civilians were injured when a grenade was thrown at a civilian gathering in the Bir Ahmad area in Al-Buraiqeh district, following a dispute. In a separate incident, albeit on the same day and in the same district, a grenade was thrown at a car passing through Madinat As Salah, injuring five civilians, including a woman. Dar Sad and Craiter districts also saw reports of grenade attacks over the past month. The 14 grenade casualties in Aden drove the August casualty count in the city up to 19, the highest seen since May last year. In the fifth incident, in Ta’izz, two civilians were injured when a grenade was detonated in Al-Ashrafiyah in Al-Mudhaffar on 21 August, following a dispute. Hand grenade incidents have now been responsible for 80 civilian casualties this year, almost matching the 81 reported throughout 2022, and well exceeding the numbers reported in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Small arms fire responsible for over 30 civilian casualties
Small arms fire (SAF) shootings have been responsible for the second highest number of civilian casualties in the country this year, after shellfire, accounting for 298 casualties. Over the past month, SAF resulted in 31 civilian casualties across Yemen, including six in each of Jawf and Abyan, and five in each of Ta’izz, Amran and Aden. In the deadliest incident, four civilians were shot dead on 6 August when a car came under fire in Al-Aqabah area, north of Al-Hazm in Jawf. The vehicle was subsequently set alight. Another of the shootings in Jawf was connected to checkpoint violence; on 26 August, one civilian was shot dead and another injured at a checkpoint in Qarn Bin Shaman between Khabb wa ash Shaaf and Bart Al-Anan districts. Of nine checkpoint shootings reported this year, four have been reported in Jawf. At least seven of the shootings in August were linked to domestic disputes, taking place in family homes among relatives, while land disputes and tribal vengeance issues were responsible for another three shootings. Moreover, on 22 August, at least three civilians were injured when a protest was dispersed with live fire on the Khur Maksar Corniche in Khur Maksar district, Aden. Protest-related violence has been responsible for 14 civilian casualties in Yemen so far this year, on account of incidents in Ta’izz, Hadramawt, Aden, Lahij and Shabwah.

A third of the child casualties reported in August were the result of ERW
Armed violence was responsible for 32 child casualties over the past month, 23% above the average monthly child casualty count this year of 26, despite being fewer than the 35 child casualties reported in July. Over a third of the casualties were fatalities. Shellfire was responsible for more child casualties than any other type of armed violence, at 12, due in large part to the mass casualty shelling incident in Ta’izz, in which four children died and another six sustained injuries. Explosive remnants of warfare (ERW) were responsible for another 11 child casualties in August, constituting almost half of the 24 civilian ERW casualties reported over the past month. The west coast continues to see the majority of ERW casualties, with all but two of the child ERW casualties and all but three of the adult ERW casualties reported in Hudaydah. ERW has been responsible for 248 civilian casualties across Yemen so far this year, 114 of whom (46%) have been children; ERW has been responsible for more child casualties this year than all other types of armed violence combined.

Four IDP settlements hit by shellfire in Marib
On 30 August, a number of rockets were reportedly launched towards Marib city, with shrapnel falling on Al-Misallal, Hajibah, Mustawsaf Shaqman and Al-Manin IDP camps on the outskirts of the city. A number of tents and other shelters were reported to have sustained damages, but no casualties were reported. This is the second time this year that IDP sites in Ma’rib have been reported to have come under shellfire, although the last incident, in May, in which Al-Musayl camp was hit, was linked to localised tribal conflict in Ma’rib district rather than hostilities on the governorate’s main frontlines. Of six incidents to impact IDP sites in Yemen this year, all have been reported Ma’rib, which hosts a high proportion of IDPs in Yemen. IDPs are a particularly vulnerable group, having already been displaced at least once. When IDP sites are impacted by armed violence, residents may face secondary or even tertiary displacement, further exacerbating the disruption and psychosocial impact of the conflict.

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