New York, NY, August 3, 2018 — The International Rescue Committee (IRC) strongly condemns the attack in Hodeidah city on the 2nd of August which reportedly killed more than 40 civilians, including women and children, and wounded over 100 people. The attack on the fish market, which damaged the city’s main hospital, breached the obligation under International Humanitarian Law (IHL) on all parties to the conflict to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. This comes just after another recent airstrike damaged an IRC-supported Ministry of Health facility in the city.
“The IRC calls for an impartial investigation to establish who was responsible for the attack on the fish market and to hold them to account,” said Frank McManus, Yemen Country Director at the International Rescue Committee. “Civilians and civilian infrastructure continue to be targets by all parties to the conflict. This can no longer be tolerated.”
The war in Yemen, considered the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, is in its fourth year, with 22 million people in need of aid and only half of Yemen’s health facilities in both Houthi and government-controlled areas of the country operational. More than 120,000 Yemenis have already been displaced by the fighting in Hodeidah and surrounding areas, and it is estimated that 250,000 lives could be lost if fighting continues in the city, and millions more could suffer if port operations are disrupted.