CIMP Monthly Report - March 2023

Civilian casualties increased by 14% between February and March 2023
183 civilian casualties were reported as a result of armed violence in Yemen in March 2023, marking a 14% increase from February. Fatalities increased from 47 up to 49, and child casualties remained largely unchanged, at 30. Half of the month’s casualties (89) were reported in Sa’dah governorate, predominantly on account of ongoing border violence. Shelling was responsible for the highest casualty numbers across the country, at 64, although the vast majority of these were due to the border violence in Sa’dah. Away from the border, there was a significant increase in small arms fire (SAF) casualties, which more than doubled from 17 in February to 41 in March.

ERW remains the primary driver of child casualties in Yemen
Overall, the number of civilian casualties as a result of explosive remnants of warfare (ERW), including landmines and UXO, decreased, down to 28 from 44 in February. However, of the 30 child casualties reported in Yemen over the past month, 57% (17) were the result of landmines and UXO. For every month so far this year, ERW has accounted for more than half of the child casualties. The two incidents to see the highest child casualty numbers over the past month were both on account of ERW incidents. On 14 March, three children were killed, and another three injured, when a UXO exploded in Al-Hada district in Dhamar; despite not being a frontline area, the device was reportedly a recent remnant, left behind by recent military drills in the area, and the children’s awareness of the threat was likely lower as a result. In another incident in the eastern outskirts of Hudaydah city, on 3 March, four children and one woman were injured when a landmine exploded in As Salkhanah neighbourhood. More than half of the ERW casualties were reported on the west coast, in the active and former frontline areas in districts to the south of Hudaydah city and on the city’s outskirts; 17 of the 29 civilian casualties reported in Hudaydah over the past month were the result of ERW.

Number of civilian SAF casualties surged to over 40
March saw the highest number of civilian SAF casualties reported since July 2022, at 41, across 12 separate governorates, including eight in Hudaydah, seven in Ibb and six in Dhamar. In the shooting incident to see the highest civilian casualty numbers, on 27 March, three civilians were shot dead and five were injured, including two children, when a dispute over shop rental fees escalated at a market in Al-Qanawis district, Hudaydah. Disputes over economic issues such as rental costs, levies and revenues are a common driver of violence in the country, along with land disputes and family and tribal disputes. There were also three instances of civilians sustaining injuries when the cars they were travelling in came under fire at checkpoints, including in Al-Hazm district of Jawf, in Mudiyah district of Abyan, and in Monabbih district of Sa’dah, cumulatively accounting for four of the civilian SAF casualties this month. While it remains unclear as to what prompted the surge in SAF incidents over the past month, it was likely driven in part by growing economic grievances and financial pressures around the country.

Half of the casualties over the past month were reported as a result of border violence in Sa’dah
Districts in western Sa’dah on the border with Saudi Arabia continue to see near daily reports of cross-border shellfire and border guard shootings, particularly in Shada’a and Monabbih districts respectively. 89 civilian casualties were reported in the governorate over the past month, 87 of whom were the result of border violence. 61 of the casualties were reported in Shada’a, of whom 47 were on account of shellfire, and 22 were reported in Monabbih, of whom 16 were on account of border outpost shootings, particularly in Ar Raqw, which is a market town near an informal border crossing point. As is typical, a number of migrants were reported to be among the casualties. Save for a peak in casualty numbers in January, March saw the highest number of civilian casualties as a result of border violence since March 2022, before the truce commenced.

Number of houses impacted by armed violence increased from February to March
Civilian homes were reported to have been directly hit by armed violence in 33 incidents in March 2023, up from 23 in February, impacting as many as 129 civilian casualties. 26 incidents were on account of shellfire, and drone strikes were responsible for another three incidents, while the remainder were on account of more localised violence, including two instances of houses coming under fire during shootings in Aden and Dhamar, which resulted in six civilian casualties, and another house that was damaged when a grenade was accidentally detonated inside injuring another six civilians. Another nine civilian casualties were reported as a result of artillery fire hitting homes in frontline areas, and two women were injured when a drone strike hit a house in Hajjah. By contrast, in February, 14 civilian casualties were reported as a result of armed violence impacting homes. Beyond threatening physical harm to civilians, when homes are directly impacted by hostilities, the threat of displacement is also heightened. In March, the governorates to see the highest numbers of houses impacted by hostilities were Ta’izz, which saw eight instances of armed violence impacting civilian homes, and Ma’rib, where seven such incidents were reported.

Please accept our apologies for any inconveniences resulting from the delay in delivery of this report.
For more detailed or area-specific assessments, please reach out to the CIMP team directly via the address below.