Insan Organization for Rights and Freedoms strongly condemns the Saudi regime’s targeting of the Al-Salif Water Project and the facilities and equipment associated with it in Yemen’s Al Hudaydah Governorate. The organization considers the targeting of a facility dedicated to providing civilians with drinking water to constitute a grave assault on a fundamental human right and to raise serious concerns regarding compliance with the rules of international humanitarian law and the principles governing the protection of civilian objects during armed conflicts.
According to publicly available information, Saudi airstrikes destroyed the main water tank of the Al-Salif Water Project, its solar power system and emergency generators, forcing the project out of service. The strikes also reportedly injured several workers, threatening to deprive the population served by the project of an essential service indispensable to life and public health.
The organization emphasizes that civilian water facilities and infrastructure are protected under international humanitarian law, which requires parties to a conflict to distinguish between civilian objects and military objectives, respect the principle of proportionality, and take all necessary precautions to protect civilians. It warns that the destruction of water infrastructure goes beyond material damage, as it threatens the lives and health of civilians, increases the risk of the spread of diseases and epidemics, and exacerbates the humanitarian crisis, particularly in areas already facing severe humanitarian and economic conditions.
Insan Organization for Rights and Freedoms calls for an independent, transparent, and impartial international investigation into the targeting of the Al-Salif Water Project, including an examination of the circumstances surrounding the attack, the objectives targeted, and the military justification relied upon by those responsible for carrying it out. It further calls for identifying and holding accountable all those found responsible in accordance with international law.
The organization also calls on the United Nations and relevant international organizations to document the damage and take urgent action to restore the project to operation and ensure that residents have access to drinking water, and not allow essential services to be turned into tools for exerting pressure on civilians.
The organization stresses that the protection of civilians and vital infrastructure is neither selective nor subject to double standards, and that any violation targeting civilian objects or depriving populations of the basic necessities of life must be investigated and subject to accountability, regardless of who committed it.
