ReliefWeb

Sana’a, 1 December 2020 – Preliminary reports indicate that artillery shelling on residential areas in the east of Taizz City on 30 November killed two children and injured another seven civilians, including three children and four women. The attacks took place in Usayfarah neighbourhood in Al Qahira District.

“These senseless attacks, which caused so many casualties among children and women, are horrific and inexcusable,” said Mr. Altaf Musani, Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen a.i. “Today, more families are grieving for children who died needlessly. We send our deepest condolences to the families of those who were killed and wish the injured a full and speedy recovery.”

Hostilities in and around Taizz City escalated in late September. Protection partners recorded 55 civilian casualties in October across Taizz Governorate and a similar number was recorded in November. Shelling of residential areas to the east of Taizz City has increased as armed clashes escalated along surrounding frontlines, pushing up the civilian casualty rate.

“Indiscriminate artillery shelling of residential areas has to stop,” said Mr. Musani. “The parties to the conflict must distinguish between civilians and combatants. Attacks on civilians are prohibited – recent shelling in areas where families live in the east of Taizz City are violations of international humanitarian law.”

“As Yemen faces increasing levels of humanitarian needs with soaring food insecurity and malnutrition rates, COVID-19, and an underfunded aid operation, the focus should be on saving lives,” said Mr. Musani. “We urge the parties to do all they can to facilitate the humanitarian response and commit to ending the violence.”

Yemen remains the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Nearly 80 per cent of the population – over 24 million people – require some form of humanitarian assistance and protection. By the end of November only US$1.6 billion of the US$3.2 billion needed in 2020 had been received.