Hailey Tran
Since the outbreak of civil war in Yemen in 2015, hospitals and other medical facilities have been targeted by airstrikes, ground attacks, military occupation, assaults on health workers, looting, and restrictions on humanitarian aid. The Saudi-led coalition has been accused of carrying out more than 130 attacks on health facilities, with critics arguing that these constitute war crimes. The Houthis, on the other hand, have been blamed for at least 52 attacks, including the use of drones and missiles. The conflict has resulted in thousands of civilian deaths and injuries, the displacement of millions, and a severe lack of access to basic medical care, causing untold suffering and negatively impacting the average life expectancy of the Yemeni population.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of attacks on medical facilities | Over 130 |
| Number of attacks on hospitals | 71 |
| Number of attacks on health workers | At least 120 |
| Number of civilian deaths | Over 100,000 |
| Number of civilian injuries | Thousands |
| Number of displaced civilians | Millions |
| Number of medical facilities forced to shut down | 11 |
| Number of coalition aerial attacks on hospitals, clinics, and vaccination centres | 35 |
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What You'll Learn
Airstrikes on hospitals in Yemen since 2015
Since the outbreak of civil war in Yemen in 2015, hospitals and medical facilities have been targeted by airstrikes. The conflict has resulted in thousands of civilian deaths and injuries, and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.
Yemen's healthcare system has been systematically targeted by all parties to the conflict as a strategy of war. This is a clear violation of international humanitarian law, which prohibits attacks on medical facilities, medical and health workers, and patients. The Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the Additional Protocols of 1977 mandate the protection of healthcare facilities and workers.
Saudi Arabia, leading a coalition of nine Arab states, began carrying out airstrikes in Yemen in March 2015, marking the beginning of a military intervention code-named Operation Decisive Storm. Since then, more than 130 health facilities in Yemen have been destroyed by airstrikes conducted by the Saudi-led coalition. Many of these facilities were public hospitals staffed or supported by Doctors Without Borders (MSF).
MSF reported that a Saudi-led coalition airstrike on 26 October 2015 completely destroyed the Médecins Sans Frontières hospital in Saada, including the operating room. The hospital was evacuated after the first strike hit an unused part of the building, and there were no direct casualties. However, MSF highlighted that the destruction of the hospital left at least 200,000 people without access to medical care.
On 3 December 2015, an airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition hit a health center in Taiz, wounding nine people. Shiara Hospital, supported by MSF, was also hit by a projectile and shrapnel from the Saudi-led coalition on 10 January 2016, resulting in six deaths and seven injuries.
The frequency of attacks on medical facilities in Yemen has fluctuated over the years, with a large increase observed between March and December 2015. Airstrikes on hospitals have continued to occur, causing a lack of access to basic medical care and contributing to the suffering of Yemeni civilians.
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Saudi-led coalition's role in attacks
The Saudi-led coalition's bombing of civilian areas in Yemen has been widely condemned by the international community. The coalition's airstrikes have targeted hospitals and medical facilities, causing a devastating impact on the country's healthcare system and resulting in the loss of lives of both medical workers and patients.
In March 2015, the coalition began carrying out airstrikes and imposing a naval blockade on Yemen, with the stated goal of restoring Hadi to power and countering the influence of the Houthis, who were allegedly backed by Iran. The airstrikes have not only targeted Houthi forces but also civilian infrastructure, including hospitals. The coalition has been accused of committing war crimes and violating international humanitarian law by bombing hospitals and other medical facilities, which are supposed to be protected under the rules of war.
MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders, reported that a Saudi-led coalition airstrike on 26 October 2015 completely destroyed their hospital in Saada, northwestern Yemen, including the operating room. The coalition spokesperson initially admitted that schools and hospitals were targeted but claimed they were used as weapon storage sites. The GPS coordinates of the hospital were regularly shared with the coalition, and the roof was clearly marked with the MSF logo. Despite this, the coalition denied responsibility for the attack.
The bombing of hospitals and medical facilities has had severe consequences for the Yemeni population. The lack of access to basic medical care has caused untold suffering, and the disruption of vaccination campaigns and other essential services has negatively impacted the average life expectancy in Yemen. The coalition's restrictions on the entry of commercial and humanitarian goods, including fuel and medical supplies, have further exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in the country.
The United States, the United Kingdom, France, and other Western countries have provided military support and weapons sales to the Saudi-led coalition, despite growing criticism of their involvement in the conflict. In 2021, President Biden announced that the US would end support for the coalition's offensive operations in Yemen, but important aspects of US complicity remain. The UN has also been criticized for its silence on coalition abuses and its decision to remove the coalition from a blacklist of parties violating children's rights in 2020, despite evidence of attacks on schools and hospitals.
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Houthi rebels' use of drones and missiles
Since the beginning of the civil war in 2015, Yemen has witnessed thousands of civilian deaths and injuries, the displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians, and the destruction of its infrastructure.
The Houthi rebels have been using missiles and drones to attack Saudi Arabia and target vessels in the Red Sea. They have also targeted hospitals and medical facilities, which is prohibited by international humanitarian law and constitutes a war crime. The Houthi rebels' use of drones and missiles has been a significant part of their military strategy, and they have proved deft at repurposing old weaponry for new purposes.
The Houthis have conducted several missile and drone attacks on hospitals and medical facilities, resulting in the death and injury of medical workers and civilians. For example, a Houthi drone and missile strike attack in Mocha targeted a refugee camp and a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders, causing the hospital to shut down. In another incident, a missile blew up a gas station near a hospital in Saada Governorate, damaging the hospital and killing eight civilians, including five children.
The Houthi rebels have also targeted US military ships and aircraft with missiles and drones, shooting down seven US Reaper drones worth $200 million in less than six weeks. They have also fired missiles at Israel, with Houthi spokesman Saree claiming that they used missiles and bomb-carrying drone boats to attack an Israeli ship.
The use of drones and missiles by the Houthi rebels has caused significant damage and loss of life, and their ability to replenish their ammunition through Iranian patronage or their own weaponeering efforts suggests that this trend is likely to continue.
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War crimes and violation of international law
Since the outbreak of civil war in Yemen in 2015, hospitals and medical facilities have been targeted by all parties to the conflict. Saudi-led airstrikes have hit schools, hospitals, and wedding parties, killing thousands of Yemeni civilians. The Houthis, on the other hand, have used drones and missiles to attack Saudi Arabia and have targeted vessels in the Red Sea. Civilians have borne the brunt of the conflict, which has resulted in over 100,000 deaths, the destruction of Yemen's infrastructure, the displacement of millions, and a dire food crisis.
The exact number of hospitals targeted in Yemen is difficult to ascertain due to the ongoing nature of the conflict and the challenges in gathering information. However, various sources and reports provide insights into the scale of attacks on medical facilities. According to the Yemen Archive, there have been over 130 attacks on medical facilities in Yemen's civil war, constituting war crimes by all parties involved. The Saudi-led coalition has allegedly been responsible for 72 attacks, while the Houthis have been blamed for at least 52.
The Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the Additional Protocols of 1977 explicitly mandate the protection of healthcare facilities and healthcare workers. Medical facilities are protected not only because they are run by civilians but also because civilians are likely to be present in large numbers, especially during times of conflict. Despite these international laws, hospitals and doctors in Yemen have been targeted at least 120 times by the warring parties, according to a report by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) and the Yemeni human rights group Mwatana.
The consequences of these attacks on hospitals and medical personnel have been devastating for Yemen's healthcare system and the country's population. Al-Thawra hospital in Taiz, for example, was the target of at least 45 documented attacks and suffered severe damage. The collapse of Yemen's healthcare infrastructure has contributed significantly to what the UN has called the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, with two-thirds of the population requiring some form of humanitarian assistance.
The attacks on hospitals and medical facilities in Yemen constitute war crimes and violations of international law. Amnesty International, for instance, has stated that the Saudi-led coalition's airstrike on a hospital in 2015 may amount to a war crime and has called for an independent investigation. The UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, has also described the attacks on health facilities as an "unacceptable breach of international humanitarian law." These incidents underscore the need for accountability and adherence to the protections afforded to healthcare facilities and workers under the internationally recognized rules of war.
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Impact on civilians and healthcare workers
Since the escalation of violence in Yemen in 2015, civilians and healthcare workers have been impacted in numerous ways. The civil war has resulted in thousands of civilian deaths and injuries, and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. The UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, warned in 2020 that the upsurge in violence was jeopardizing the progress made by warring parties on de-escalation and confidence-building.
The conflict has had a devastating impact on the country's healthcare system, with hospitals and healthcare workers being targeted by all parties to the conflict. This has resulted in the destruction of more than 130 health facilities and the disruption of healthcare services for thousands of vulnerable civilians. The lack of access to basic medical care has caused untold suffering and negatively impacted the average life expectancy of the Yemeni population. The situation was further exacerbated by the threat of a coronavirus outbreak, with Yemen's healthcare system already decimated by the conflict.
Healthcare workers have been directly targeted in the attacks, with incidents of medical workers being injured or killed. For example, airstrikes on Al Dourayhmi Rural Hospital led to the death of several staff members, and repeated shelling of Al Thawra hospital resulted in injuries among staff. The Yemeni Archive identified 11 hospitals that had been targeted repeatedly, including Marib Hospital, Haradh German Hospital, and Taiz Military Hospital.
The attacks on healthcare facilities and workers are prohibited by international humanitarian law and constitute war crimes. Amnesty International and Physicians for Human Rights have both called for independent investigations into the attacks, with the latter co-publishing a report with the Yemeni human rights group Mwatana detailing the devastating effects of the conflict on the country's healthcare system.
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Frequently asked questions
Hospitals and doctors in Yemen have been targeted at least 120 times by the conflict’s warring parties. There were 120 incidents across 20 of Yemen’s 22 governorates between March 2015 and December 2018.
The Yemen Archive said that the Saudi-led coalition was allegedly responsible for 72 attacks on medical facilities. According to other sources, the number is over 130.
The hospitals targeted by the Saudi-led coalition include Al Jafra and Al Saudi hospitals in the Majzer District in Marib, Shiara Hospital in the Razeh district, Médecins Sans Frontières hospital in Saada, and Al-Thawra hospital in Taiz.
