Over 200 civilians killed or injured by armed
violence in Yemen in March
209 civilian casualties were reported in Yemen in March 2022, almost matching last month’s 220, but ultimately marking the second consecutive month to have seen a decrease after the high of 666 civilian casualties reported in January. 209 is the same as the 2021 average monthly civilian casualty count. 57 fatalities were among the casualties, the lowest reported since August 2021.
Remnant explosive ordnance remains the main driver of child casualties in Yemen
26 children were reported to have been killed or injured by armed violence in March, and 11 women, down from 38 children and 31 women killed or injured by armed violence in February. Of the child casualties, 14 were the result of remnant explosive ordnance, including eight child landmine casualties and six child UXO casualties. Another eight children and four women were killed or injured by
airstrikes last month.
Almost half of the civilian casualties reported in Yemen in March were the result of Sa’dah border violence
97 civilian casualties were reported in Sa’dah in March, all but three of whom were in the border districts of Monabbih and Shada’a. Violence along the Sa’dah border remains one of the primary drivers of civilian casualties in the country. For example, shellfire saw more civilian casualties across Yemen than any other type of armed violence in March, at 57, but 47 of these were reported in Sa’dah. Moreover, light weapons fire drove the second highest civilian casualty numbers in the country, at 47, all of whom were reported in western Sa’dah, including 44 in Monabbih, which hosts several informal border crossings.
Landmines and airstrikes were the main threats to
civilians in Hudaydah over the past month
25 civilian casualties were reported in Hudaydah in March, including 14 on account of landmines. These 14 landmine casualties accounted for more than half of the countrywide civilian landmine casualty count of 26 over the past month. Hostility rates continue to fluctuate at a low level, with landmines, a legacy threat in the former frontline areas, continuing the pose the greatest threat to civilians in Hudaydah. There were also ten civilian casualties reported in the governorate on account of a wave of airstrikes on 26 March. Among the air raids, which reportedly impacted a host of infrastructure around the governorate, including health, fuel and port facilities, ten civilians were injured on Kamaran island, including three children.
Wave of airstrikes in late March caused mass casualty incident in Sana’a city
Airstrikes were
responsible for 30 civilian casualties across Yemen in March, double the 15 civilian airstrike casualties reported in February, and bringing the total this year to 467, driven in large part by the mass casualty incident in Sa’dah in January. Of the 30 in March, 22 were reported on 26 March, amid a widespread uptick in airstrikes in apparent response to cross-border hostilities. As well as the incident in Hudaydah, in Sana’a city, on 26 March, eight civilians were killed, including five children and two women, and four other civilians injured, when airstrikes hit two houses on Hadda street in As Sabain.
Civilians remain at risk of shootings driven by isolated, dispute driven violence, against a backdrop of insecurity
Small arms fire (SAF) resulted in 34 civilian casualties in March 2022, the third highest civilian casualty count of the different types of armed violence,
predominantly the result of localised, dispute-driven violence. High levels of insecurity and factionalism, compounded by a fuel crisis and a strained economy, continue to drive tensions which frequently escalate into hostilities. Ibb saw the highest number of SAF casualties, at 17, driven predominantly by disputes over air distribution in the final week of the month.
For more detailed or area-specific assessments, please reach out to the CIMP team via the address below.
|
