Responding to the dramatic escalation of armed hostilities between the Huthi de facto authorities, the Yemeni government and Saudi Arabia in recent weeks and the growing toll on civilians amidst ongoing attacks, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Heba Morayef, said:
“The risks to civilians in Yemen and Saudi Arabia are rapidly increasing each day this conflict escalates. All parties to the conflict must ensure civilians are protected and abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law.
“Over the past week, deadly Huthi attacks on airports in Saudi Arabia have caused significant civilian harm, including a 10 October attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that killed 13 people and wounded hundreds more- the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia in over a decade. The attack came amidst the return of full-blown armed hostilities to Yemen with devastating consequences for civilians there, particularly on the coast and around Ta’iz, Yemen’s third largest city.
Civilians are never legitimate targets. They must not pay the price of further escalation.
Heba Morayef, Amnesty International
“Civilians are never legitimate targets. They must not pay the price of further escalation. The deliberate targeting of civilians or civilian infrastructure, including civilian airports, is prohibited under international humanitarian law and can amount to a war crime.
“All warring parties must immediately refrain from carrying out direct attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, as well as indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks.
“In Yemen, where civilians are already grappling with a severe humanitarian crisis and the impact of years of sporadic bouts of fighting, the conflict will further compound the suffering of the civilian population. It is critical that parties to the conflict take all feasible precautions to avoid or, in any event, minimize harm to civilians and civilian objects, and provide unfettered access to humanitarian aid for civilians in need.”
Background
Recent weeks have seen a dramatic escalation in hostilities between the Huthi de-facto authorities in Yemen, the internationally recognized Yemeni government and Saudi Arabia. The renewed conflict in Yemen is linked to the regional conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran. The Huthis are supported by Iran and the Yemeni government by Saudi Arabia.
The escalation in Yemen follows the breakdown of a UN-brokered ceasefire in July 2026, following air strikes on Sana’a airport claimed by the internationally recognized government. Between 2015 and 2022, Amnesty International documented gross human rights violations and serious violations of international humanitarian law, including likely war crimes, committed by parties to the conflict, including the Huthi armed group and Saudi-led coalition.
The escalation has been accompanied by intensified ground fighting between the Huthis and Yemeni government forces inside Yemen, including deadly attacks by Huthi forces on civilian areas. While the real death toll is significantly higher, the UN human rights office reported in late September that it had documented at least 32 civilians, including 15 children, killed since August.
Huthi forces have also carried out attacks targeting airports, military installations and oil facilities across Saudi Arabia, as well as ships at sea. Between 5 and 11 October, Huthi attacks on civilian airports across Saudi Arabia damaged passenger terminals and civilian aircraft and killed at least 20 people and injured more than 350 people, according to the National.
Saudi Arabia has also resumed its air strikes in Yemen. According to the Yemen Data Project, at least 66 civilians have been killed and 90 injured.
The latest escalation is exacerbating an already severe humanitarian crisis in Yemen where, according to UN figures, at least 18.3 million people are acutely food insecure and more than 2.2 million children under five and 1.3 million pregnant and breastfeeding women are acutely malnourished. Access to food and healthcare have repeatedly worsened due to the conflict, warring party conduct and humanitarian funding cuts.