CIMP Monthly Report - April 2025

April is the fourth-highest civilian casualty total since CIMP began monitoring Yemen
648 civilians were killed or injured during April 2025, the fourth highest monthly casualty total since the start of CIMP in 2018 and a four-fold increase compared to March, when 161 casualties were reported. The majority of the casualties came in just two incidents, both the result of airstrikes: one in Hudaydah, where 222 people were killed and injured, and the other in Sadah, where air raids caused the death and injury of 133 African migrants. Prior to this month, CIMP had recorded only five incidents with over 100 civilian casualties, with April almost doubling that total. It was also the deadliest month for African migrants in Yemen since CIMP began recording, with 151 casualties, all the result of airstrikes on a detention centre in Sadah. The last time migrant casualties topped 100 in a single month was in January 2022, when a detention centre at the same Sadah site was also bombed, causing 339 casualties, among them locals and migrants detained at the facility. Overall, airstrikes accounted for 90% of the casualties (583) this month.

Most children and women casualties since 2021
Children and women (89) made up only around 14% of the total casualty numbers (648), mainly due to many of the deadliest airstrikes hitting major infrastructure sites in Hudaydah and Sanaa rather than highly populated areas. However, the total number of children and women killed or injured during April was nearly double the number recorded in March, when 38 children and women were the victims of armed violence. The number of children and women casualties in April was also the highest since December 2021. Most of them in airstrikes on civilian houses, where 114 civilians were killed and injured this month, almost half (49) of them women and children.

Strikes on urban areas continue to drive displacement and increase risk of losing livelihood
CIMP estimated that some 121 households were directly impacted by armed violence in April 2025, potentially raising the level of displacement by around a third compared to March, when some 95 households were assessed to have been forced to leave their homes. However, while as many as 350 households’ livelihoods were impacted, this is 13% down compared to the previous month, when nearly 430 households encountered damage to their assets or a reduction to their sources of income. Cumulatively, an estimated 470 households have been displaced or lost their livelihoods in April, owing to the month’s hostilities being concentrated in urban areas, factories, and infrastructure sites.

Airstrikes inflicted critical damage to infrastructure sites
The escalation in airstrikes in April saw the intensity of the bombing of infrastructure sites spike significantly. The deadliest came on 18 April when air raids on the oil terminal at the Ras Isa port in As Salif caused 222 civilians, including 74 deaths and 148 injuries. Other strikes hit a migrant detention centre in Sadah, the principal seaport in Hudaydah city, fuel vessels, telecommunication infrastructure, major roads, and water pumps, limiting the freedom of movement for tens of thousands of people in the north of the country. The most significant was the Ras Isa incident, which shut down the oil terminal, the main entry point for fuel imports into northern Yemen. The incident precipitated a temporary fuel crisis and heightened fears of a deterioration of the humanitarian situation as concerns grow over the ability of goods to enter through the Hudaydah ports and any potential fuel shortages hampering aid operations.

Shelling, shootings, and ERW incidents cause 65 civilian casualties
In addition to the 65 airstrike incidents, all of the other civilian impact events this month (42) were caused by ERW, shelling, and shootings. These resulted in 65 civilians, including 24 deaths and 41 injuries, mainly focused in frontline areas in Sadah (18), Al Jawf (14), Taizz (12), and Al Hudaydah (8).

13 casualties were caused by shelling on active fronts in Sadah (8) and Taizz (5), while shootings related to sniper and light weapons fire along frontlines caused 15 victims, 10 in Sadah and 5 in Taizz. About one-fourth (39%) of those impacted by frontline violence were children (10) and women (1). This is a three-fold increase compared to March 2025, when 4 civilians were the victims of frontline violence.

Incidents at checkpoints, vengeance issues, disputed-related violence, and personal grievances accounted for the remaining 31 casualties (18 killed and 13 injured). This is similar to March when 31 civilians were also the victims of shootings across the country. In an unusual development, though, there were reports of two incidents of drones targeting houses in Murays in Qaatabah of Ad Dali following land disputes. Although no casualties were reported, this is the first time that CIMP has recorded drone strikes on houses in relation to disputes between individuals rather than in the course of overall hostilities. However, it should be noted that both incidents were in frontline areas, and it is possible that the violence was also related to the ongoing conflict between the warring parties in the area.

ERW incidents jump to highest level since December 2024
There was an increase in the number of people impacted by ERW in April, with 21 casualties, up by 50% compared to March 2025, when 14 casualties were reported. This is not only a significant month-on-month rise, but also marks the highest ERW casualty rate since December 2024, when 22 people were killed or injured by landmines, IEDs, and unexploded ordnance. Of the 21 ERW victims in April, 14 were reported in Al Jawf, 5 in Al Hudaydah, and 2 in Taizz, all current or former frontline areas. Over a third of the casualties (36%) were children (1 killed and 4 injured). The continued impact of ERW on civilians highlights the long-term deadly nature of these ordnance even after active hostilities have ceased, raising the need for more efforts to help neutralise the threat of these weapons.

For more detailed or area-specific assessments, please reach out to the CIMP team directly via the address below.