At least 28 dead in Saudi-led coalition airstrikes near main hospital in Yemen’s port city of Hudaydah
On Thursday, August 2nd 2018, Saudi-led coalition airstrikes hit a busy fish market and outside the entrance to al-Thawra hospital in Hudaydah, Yemen. At least 28 were killed in the airstrikes and a further 70 were injured. Though some put the toll as high as 55 killed and 124 injured.
Al-Thawra hospital is supported by the International Red Cross, who have sent surgical supplies to treat the 50 patients said to be in a critical condition. The hospital is one of just a handful of medical facilities that are still operational in Hudaydah.
It was reported by the head of Hudaydah’s fishermen union that there were no military targets in the area, which was instead full of civilians.
Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) records casualties (i.e. people killed and injured) from explosive violence around the world as reported in English-language news sources.
In the first half of 2018, AOAV recorded a 32% increase in civilian casualties from explosive violence in Yemen, compared to the same period last year (703 to 926).
An increase in civilian casualties from Saudi-led coalition airstrikes in 2018 is responsible for much of the harm, with a 37% increase in civilian casualties from airstrikes (with 778 civilian casualties in the first half of 2018, compared to 567 during the same period in 2017).
AOAV strongly condemns the use of violence against civilians and calls upon all states and groups to stop using weapons with wide-area impacts in populated areas, due to the severe impact these have on civilians