CIMP Monthly Report

May 2024 saw the second lowest monthly civilian casualty count on CIMP records
The number of civilian casualties reported as a result of armed violence decreased slightly across Yemen in May 2024, down 4% from last April’s 89 civilian casualties to 85, the second lowest monthly civilian casualty count seen in the country this year, and also the second lowest on CIMP records. The decrease in fatalities was more notable, down by 23% from 35 in April to 27 in May. The number of women casualties dropped by 25%, from eight in April to six in May. Although the number of children among the casualties dropped, it was only a slight decrease, down to 18 from 19 in April. Explosive remnants of warfare (ERW) were responsible for the highest civilian casualty numbers countrywide in May, at 25, joint with 25 civilian shooting casualties. By governorate, the highest civilian casualty count was reported in Sa’dah, which saw 25 civilian casualties in May 2024, more than double the 11 reported in the governorate in April.

ERW drove the highest civilian casualties countrywide, over half of whom were reported in Hudaydah and Ta’izz
Explosive remnants of warfare (ERW), including landmines and UXO, were responsible for 25 civilian casualties over the past month, including 11 fatalities. Despite marking a decrease of 38% from last month’s 40 ERW casualties, this was more casualties than any type of armed violence this month. For the second month this year, Ta’izz saw the highest numbers of ERW casualties, contrary to typical patterns of Hudaydah seeing the weight of ERW casualties. Nine civilian casualties were reported in Ta’izz in May 2024, the highest civilian ERW casualty count to be reported in the governorate since July 2023. In the incident to see the highest civilian casualty numbers, on 24 May, a 30-year-old civilian was killed and four other civilians were injured, including a 15-year-old boy, when their bus went over a landmine in the Hurayqiyah area in Dhubab district, western Ta’izz. While Ta’izz saw the highest number of ERW casualties, Hudaydah saw more incidents, with five separate landmine and UXO incidents reported over the past month, across the eastern outskirts of Hudaydah city, Bayt Al-Faqih, Ad Durayhimi and At Tuhayat, cumulatively killing five civilians and injuring one. The deadliest ERW incident, however, was reported in Sana’a, where on 22 May, a UXO detonated on a waste collection site in Dar Salm, Sanhan district, killing two children, aged 11 and 12, and a 20-year-old, and injuring a 14-year-old boy, while they had been collecting scrap. Children are particularly vulnerable to ERW incidents, typically having a lower threat awareness, coupled with heightened inquisitiveness and mobility in areas that may not necessarily have been cleared. One in three of the 128 civilian ERW casualties reported this year have been children.

Border violence in western Sa’dah continues to drive highest civilian casualties in the country
A low level of border violence in western Sa’dah continues to drive weekly civilian casualties, with violence typically characterised by light weapons fire from border guards’ outposts and patrols, and cross-border artillery fire. Sa’dah saw more civilian casualties than any other governorate over the past month, at 25, all but one of whom were reported as a result of border violence, the majority (21) in Shada’a district, and three in Monabbih district. In the incident to see the highest casualty numbers, on 5 May, 12 civilians were reported to have sustained injuries when artillery shells hit houses in Shada’a. Artillery fire was responsible for another three civilian injuries on 23 May, while light weapons fire along the border was responsible for two civilian fatalities and four injuries. Shada’a has seen more civilian casualties than any other district in the country so far this year, with 33 civilian casualties reported, 21 of whom were over the past month alone. By governorate, Sa’dah has seen the second highest civilian casualties in the country so far in 2024, at 91, surpassed only by 62 in Ta’izz. Other flashpoints in Sa’dah besides Shada’a district include Monabbih district and Al-Thabit area in Qatabir district.

Shootings have been responsible for the highest civilian casualty numbers in Yemen so far this year
Small arms fire (SAF) shootings have been responsible for more civilian casualties than any other type of armed violence in Yemen so far this year, accounting for 144 of 440 casualties reported countrywide. SAF accounted for 25 civilian casualties in May 2024, across 10 different governorates. Ta’izz saw the highest frequency of incidents, with five separate shootings reported, cumulatively resulting in three fatalities and three injuries. Notably, on 8 May, two girls were injured when Al Tahrir school in Ashawiz Abus, Hayfan district, came under small arms fire. Violent incidents in the vicinity of schools put children at direct risk of harm, while also threatening access to educational facilities for other households in the area. Another shooting was reported near an educational facility in Jawf this month; on 25 May, a migrant was shot dead near the College of Education in Al-Hazm city. This was the second shooting to be reported in Al-Hazm in May. In the first, on 2 May, one civilian was shot dead and four were injured when a car came under fire at a checkpoint in the city, following a dispute. Dispute-driven violence is one of the main circumstances underpinning shootings in Yemen. Aside from educational facilities and checkpoints, May also saw reports of shootings in a market in Rada city, Bayda, in a car workshop in Bayhan district, Shabwah, and on two farms in Sabir Al-Mawadim district and Al-Wazi’iyah district. Localised grievances continue to drive violence in public, commercial and residential civilian spaces, putting civilians at direct risk of harm.

Explosive violence threatening civilian properties and services
There were several instances over the past month of civilian homes being impacted by explosives. In the incident to see the widest impact, on 7 May, an explosion was reported at a weapons dealer’s stall in the As Samadah market in Al-Irq Al-Shabwan, Ma’rib, killing two civilians and injuring another three. The site of the explosion was in close proximity to Al-Irq IDP site, resulting in fire damage to at least 30 IDP shelters. In Sana’a governorate, a number of houses and nearby farmland were reported to have been damaged by IEDs during a security campaign in Nihm district on 23 May, with reports of houses catching fire and of nearby qat farms in these areas also sustaining fire damage. This was the third instance this year of homes being targeted in IED detonations, a tactic typically deployed by warring parties for intimidatory or punitive purposes. The past month also saw reports of a house in Hays, southern Hudaydah, sustaining damage after a grenade was thrown at it, and An Nukhbah hospital in Rada city, Bayda, was damaged when a nearby military vehicle was targeted with a grenade. Civilian homes were also impacted by artillery fire in seven incidents, in frontline areas in Al-Dhale and Ma’rib, and on the western Sa’dah border, cumulatively resulting in two fatalities, including an infant, and 19 injuries, including one woman. Civilian homes are reported to have been directly impacted in 55 instances of armed violence so far this year, not only putting civilians at direct risk of harm, but also threatening the displacement of as many as 200 households.

Reports of civilian property and infrastructure being impacted by airstrikes
Airstrikes were reported to have hit a number of sites in Yemen overnight on 30/31 May, predominantly in Hudaydah, but also in Ta’izz. In southern Hudaydah city, the radio broadcast building was reportedly hit by airstrikes, along with two nearby houses, and further north along the coast, the customs department at As Salif seaport was also reportedly hit. Although tens of casualties were reported, with several reports indicating that civilians were among the casualties, exact numbers of civilian casualties remain unconfirmed, pending further corroboration. In southern Ta’izz, a telecommunications network was hit by airstrikes in the Al-Abus area of Hayfan district on the same night, but no further casualties were reported. The past month also saw weekly reports of the Hudaydah airport site being hit by airstrikes. Although the site is not currently operational, such incidents may further threaten its future rehabilitation.

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