CIMP Monthly Report - August 2025

August marked the third-highest casualty rate this year
A total of 217 civilians were killed and injured during August, marking the third-highest civilian casualty total this year after April (644) and May (281). The spike reflected an almost 50% rise in civilian casualties compared to the previous month (147) and 80% more than June (119), as the casualty toll has begun to trend upwards once again. Airstrikes were the main driver for the increase in casualty numbers (102), causing just over half (53%) of all civilian victims reported during the month.

August also marked the third-highest monthly total of children and women casualties this year (31), once again after April (55) and May (43), a 72% increase compared to July (18). However, the increase in August was mainly the result of small arms fire (SAF) (11) and explosive remnants of war (ERW) (11), rather than just the escalation in airstrikes (7). The previous highs were the result of small arms fire (SAF) (11) and explosive remnants of war (ERW) (11), rather than just the escalation in airstrikes (7). The previous highs were the result of airstrikes in April (37), while a weapons cache explosion resulted in 17 children and women victims in May.

Airstrikes continued to impact infrastructure sites
Casualties resulting from airstrikes spiked again during the month, mainly owing to a single incident on 24 August. Air raids struck a Yemen Petroleum Company (YPC) fuel station in southern Sanaa city, causing 102 civilian casualties, including 7 children and 3 women. The bombing not only caused the first civilian casualties since mid-May, but was the third highest casualty toll in any incident so far this year, after strikes on the Ras Isa terminal (222) and a detention centre in Sadah (133). The strikes also marked the second time that the same YPC station has been targeted; the site was also bombed in late May 2018. With the resumption of air raids on Sanaa, airstrike victims have now reached 884 this year alone, the second-highest casualty rate caused by airstrikes since 2018, when 2,588 casualties were reported.

Other airstrikes in August hit the Hizyaz power station on two separate occasions, targeted the Presidential Complex, and a residential area in southern Sanaa city near the Haddah Water Factory on 14 October Street. Another house on the same street was hit earlier on 14 June. It is assessed that the targeting of residential areas in Sanaa city could indicate a shift in tactics away from the previous trend of mainly focusing on infrastructure sites in Al Hudaydah and Sanaa since the bilateral truce in May, and more towards residential buildings and government sites. As such, any strikes in the future will carry a higher risk of mass civilian casualties, especially in the densely populated neighbourhoods of Sanaa.

Frontline violence led to 20% of all casualties
Violence along frontlines was confined to Sadah and Taizz during August, where a total of 50 civilians were the victims of shelling, fire from light weapons, and sniper fire, making up around 23% of the total casualty count. Of these, 90% (45) were recorded in Sadah alone, with border districts to the north and northwest of the governorate witnessing near-daily reports of violence. The casualties were confined to Monabbih (28), Qatabir (7), Shadaa (6), and Razih (4).

Among the casualties were 27 migrants. By comparison, there were 65 civilian casualties in Sadah in July, half (32) of whom were migrants. The frontline casualties in Sadah in August were the second highest this year after July, excluding casualties resulting from airstrikes.

Taizz was the other central location for frontline violence, though casualty numbers (5) fell by 85% compared to the month before (34). All 5 of the casualties in the governorate were due to sniper fire. Targeted shootings by snipers have now caused a total of 26 civilian casualties countrywide, some two-thirds (62%) of which (16) were reported in Taizz. As with previous months, the main frontline activity in the governorate has been concentrated in the heavily populated areas that comprise Taizz city: Al Qahirah, Al Mudhaffar, and Salh.

Other frontlines across the country have quieted down so far this year. However, so far, casualties from frontline violence (319) have been higher than the same period last year, when 179 civilians were killed or injured. Sadah (219 casualties) and Taizz (63 casualties) alone have accounted for more casualties through the first two-thirds of this year than the countrywide total for last year. The increase in this year’s frontline casualties can be attributed mainly to a significant uptick in activity and the lethality of the incidents in Sadah.

Shootings continued to impact civilians away from the frontlines
The third leading cause of civilian impact in August was shooting incidents, which resulted in 43 civilian victims. Ibb (10) and Amran (8) saw the highest number of SAF casualties, followed by Sanaa (6) and Hadramawt (5). The casualties in Amran were reported in a single incident, in which 3 children were shot dead and 5 more were injured when they were caught in crossfire near a school. August has now seen the third-highest number of SAF victims this year, after January (47) and June (46).

SAF incidents are now the third leading cause of civilian impact this year, although significantly lower than airstrikes (884) or frontline violence (319), which includes light weapons fire (165), shelling (96), drone strikes (33), and sniper fire (25). The underlying causes of SAF-related incidents have been checkpoint violence, disputes, and personal grievances. As such, it is expected that with the widespread availability of small weapons and a weak rule of law, SAF-related violence will continue to impact civilians in the coming period.

ERW victims spiked to the highest number in three months
August witnessed a total of 20 civilians impacted by ERW incidents, the highest number in three months. Casualties increased by a quarter in August (20) compared to July (15), and jumped by 60% compared to June (8). Around a third (30%) of the total casualties during the month were children (5 killed; 6 injured) and 3 women (all injured). The spike in ERW victims coincided with the Autumn rains in Yemen, which triggered flash floods across the country. The highest number of casualties was reported in Marib (5), Al Hudaydah (3), and Lahij (3); all of the incidents in Marib and Al Hudaydah occurred in areas close to previously active frontlines. Therefore, it is assessed that the increase in ERW incidents was partly a result of heavy rains and floods that washed away explosive ordnance from previous fighting hotspots to quieter areas.

Protest-related violence resulted in additional casualties
Following a jump in protest-related violence in July, August saw a single incident at the start of the month. 2 civilians were shot and injured in Tarim in central Hadramawt as protesters demanding the provision of basic services took to the streets across southern governorates. Unexpectedly, however, the economic conditions in the south began to improve during the first week of the month, resulting in lower exchange rates and a gradual decline in commodity prices over the following weeks. It is likely that economic improvements, coupled with the heavy-handed approach by local authorities against protesters, helped to slow the unrest and related violence. Additionally, seasonal rains brought a respite to soaring temperatures that had been ongoing for months, another factor that may have helped to reduce the intensity and prevalence of protests.