SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties, based in Genève, expressed its concern over increasing airstrikes by the Saudi-led and UAE-led Arab Coalition in Yemen, where SAM has monitored 7 airstrikes during the past 20 days, appeared to be illegal, in Sa’da, Hajjah, Hodiedah, Taiz and Sana’a during 30 October – 14 November 2017, led to increase in victims numbers, particularly among children and women,  destroyed houses and infrastructure, and damaged private objects, including farms, markets and transportation.

Increasing the humanitarian and social cost of these airstrikes has impacted civilians seriously, where some has lost their whole families, also the airstrikes has denied citizens safe work environment, thereby contribute further to the deteriorated economic situation, noting absence of protection and clear rules of engagement that safe them from the ravages of this war. Also, the survivor of this airstrikes will face permanent disability and trauma, including the neighbors and relatives of the victims.

Since March 2015, the Arab Coalition has been carrying out military operations against Houthis-Saleh militia at president Abdorabo Hadi request, however some of the airstrikes left victims among civilians, particularly children and women, and caused damage at civilian objects, including schools and hospitals, according to SAM reports that have monitored increased numbers of airstrikes that hit civilians.

In the current year, SAM has documented 63 airstrikes in Sa’da, Taiz, Hodiedah, and Sana’a, killed 528 civilians and injured 210 others, including 100 children and 59 women.

SAM has also documented 7 airstrikes recently at different governorates, on 30 October Arab Coalition airstrike hit a small hotel in Souq Al-lail, Wadi Alaf, Sahar district, Sa’da governorate, killing and injuring 29 people, most of them are laborers from Tihama work in Qat fields, according to witnesses that SAM has interviewed.

On 1 November, SAM also documented an Arab Coalition airstrike that hit a car in Ghafer district, Sa’da, carrying foodstuffs, killing two and injuring one passengers.

On 4 November, Arab Coalition airstrike hit Hussein Saleh Aslan house in Baqim, Sa’da, killing 7 of the family members, including 3 women.

On 7 November, 15 airstrikes in Harran, Aflah district, Hajjah governorate, hit civilians’ houses and killed 20 people, including whole families.

SAM documented Sharaf Abdullah Khamousi, 30, statement, a witness from the village who said “I was close to the house, about 2 km., in Al-Monwaba village Hajjah, when Saudi airstrike hit on 11 a.m. Hamdi Ali Diek Al-Gamaie’ house, killing him, his wife and four children, and one child, Rana, survived”.   “I saw the first missile that hit their house, the girl panic, and people came to their rescue; Abdullah Khamousi, his son Mustafa, Hamdi the landlord and his brother, but another missile hit the house killing them all, I saw their remnants in the trees I saw scorched and amputated legs”, Khamousi added. “women panic, some could not sleep, if they did, they wake up terrified”. Said Khamousi.

Tawfiq Al-Humedi, Head of Monitoring Team at SAM Organization, said “apparently the Arab Coalition led by Saudi Arabia and UAE, are apparently “not serious” in complying to war laws, that could safe civilians’ lives, namely children’s and women’s, although the AC has announced in January 2016 the establishment of Joint Incidents Assessment Team, however the Team was used to provide justification, as if it is just an AC spokesman”, he added.

On 10 November another airstrike on 8 a.m. at Al-Badhe’I island, Hodiedah governorate, hit fishermen boat, killing 11 and injuring 5 others.

On the same day, 12 civilians, including children were injured when an Arab Coalition airstrike hit 12 houses in Sana’a.

SAM documented statement by Safia Mahdi, one of the dwellers who said “it was the Nakba day for me and my family, when it is close to 11 p.m., we heard a strong explosion, I saw a light coming from the window, in the room where I was with my mother, nieces and nephews, I prayed for our safety”.

“following the first raid, we gathered in one room, two minutes later, Saudi aggression air raid hit the backyard of our house, I can’t describe my feeling, when I saw the light and sound of the missile, and seeing your family members getting closer to protect each other and the children, seeing your house falling apart around you and above you, glasses and shrapnel are flying and blood is flowing.. I didn’t feel the pain, and rushed out of fear to the street without my scarf, but my father brought us back to wear our scarves”, she said.

“we went to Al-Thawra hospital, but surprised with the bad treatment of the emergency physician, while we are injured and have shrapnel, they hardly anesthetized my father and stitched his wound, to discover later some shrapnel left inside”, “we became displaced after we’ve had our house and lost much of our belongings, my father lost hearing in one year, however thanks to Allah we sustained injuries only”, she concludes her statement.

In Taiz, SAM has documented on 14 November, killing of three women, one is pregnant, and injuring if three other civilians, by three missiles fired by Arab Coalition fighters on Al-Arous mountain, controlled by the national army, where there is transmission station of radio affiliated to the legitimate government.

Within this context, SAM Organization calls upon the international community to obligate conflicting parties to respect their legal and ethical obligations tom protect Yemeni civilians and civilian objects, noting that continuing of such airstrikes by the AC is considered as serious violation to the laws of war, and reflects intentional recklessness, held the perpetuators accountable and subject to trial and punishment, including the governments which are parties to the conflict in Yemen.

SAM Organization would like to remind all parties to commit to the international law and to undertake maximum precautions during the military operations to safe civilians from the ravages of fighting on lives and objects, also would like to confirm that attacking non-military objects deliberately and indiscriminately, is a war crime calls for legal accountability.

SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties,

Genève, 15 November 2017