Attachments
Executive Summary
1,201 civilians were killed or injured by armed violence in Yemen in 2024 Yemen’s frontlines remained static throughout 2024, with hostilities held in check by the persisting unofficial truce that entered into place in 2022. Civilian casualties as a result of frontline hostilities remain limited compared to previous years, and armed violence was directly responsible for a reported 1,201 civilian casualties in Yemen in 2024, marking a 25% decrease from 2023 and the lowest on CIMP records. However, a significant proportion of the casualties were the result of airstrikes, which resumed last year, and ERW continues to threaten civilians across active and dormant frontline areas. A third of the casualties were fatalities (337), a similar proportion to the previous two years.
Despite the decrease in overall figures from 2023, more mass casualty incidents were reported
There were 16 incidents in which 10 or more civilians were killed or injured, and in five of these, more than 30 civilian casualties were reported. In 2023, only one incident saw as many as 30 casualties. Of the five incidents to see the highest casualty numbers in 2024, four were the result of airstrikes, on Hudaydah and Sana’a. Driven by the resumed airstrikes, Hudaydah saw more reports of civilian casualties than any other governorate in 2024.
Armed violence was responsible for over 200 child casualties in Yemen in 2024
44 children were killed and 161 children were injured by armed violence in 2024. However, this marks a 25% decrease from 2023. For the fourth year in a row, explosive remnants of warfare (ERW) were responsible for more child casualties than any other type of armed violence. With ongoing frontline hostilities, shellfire and drone activity drove an additional 43 child casualties, three quarters of whom were reported in Ta’izz governorate. Over a quarter (28%, 58) of the child casualties were the result of armed violence in or near education facilities.
Incidents in and near education sites resulted in 58 child casualties in 2024
There was an increase in the number of educational sites reported to have been impacted by armed violence, up to five, from three in 2023. Another three incidents were reported in close proximity to schools. These incidents cumulatively resulted in 58 child casualties, jeopardising the safety of the educational environment and threatening to hinder access to education. Schools were impacted in Sana'a, Ta'izz, Dhamar, Aden and Hajjah.
61 women casualties were reported as a result of armed violence
For the sixth year in a row, the number of women casualties reported in Yemen decreased, down 45% from 110 in 2023 to 61 in 2024, including 21 fatalities. SAF and sniper fire were together responsible for a third of the women fatalities, and ERW drove nearly a quarter of the women casualties in 2024, accounting for 13 casualties.
Airstrikes resumed on Yemen in 2024, accompanied by reports of significant civilian casualty numbers
Having seen a hiatus in 2023, airstrikes were reportedly responsible for 289 civilian casualties across Yemen in 2024, the majority (78%) of whom were reported in Hudaydah. This included 43 reported civilian fatalities. Sana’a, Ta’izz, Raymah and Hajjah also saw reports of civilian airstrike casualties. There were also reports of significant infrastructural impact from the airstrikes, including the Hudaydah ports and fuel storage facilities and Hudaydah and Sana’a airports and power stations.
Over a third of the ERW casualties in Yemen in 2024 were children
Landmines and UXO were cumulatively responsible for 260 civilian casualties in 2024, including 84 fatalities. Over a third (106) were children. Although incidents and casualties were more dispersed across the country than in previous years, Hudaydah again saw more ERW casualties than anywhere else in the country, at 86. 50 of the civilian ERW casualties were reported to have been the result of vehicles going over devices, predominantly landmines
Frontline violence in Ta’izz resulted in Ta’izz seeing the second highest civilian casualty numbers in the country
Despite the frontlines remaining static during 2024 on account of the persisting truce, intermittent fighting continued, typified by artillery fire and drone activity. Shellfire and drones cumulatively resulted in 128 civilian casualties, including 34 fatalities. Ta’izz saw the highest frontline casualty figures, at 70. Sniper fire also remains one of the frontline threats to civilians. In 2024, snipers were responsible for 35 civilian casualties, 80% of whom were reported in Ta’izz.
Sa’dah again saw some of the highest civilian casualty numbers in the country on account of continued border violence
155 civilian casualties were reported in Sa’dah in 2024. 92% of these were on account of shelling and light weapons fire on the governorate’s western international border. Light weapons fire saw the highest casualty numbers in the governorate, accounting for 105 civilian casualties, most notably in Monabbih (53) and Shada’a (30). Moreover, at least 22 incidents were reported to have impacted migrants in Sa’dah in 2024, resulting in at least 40 migrant casualties.