The repercussions of Saudi attacks on Yemen continue to unfold, leaving more civilian casualties in their wake, amid escalating bombardment that has targeted several governorates since September 3, raising growing concerns over the continued targeting of civilians and facilities that are supposed to be protected under the rules of international humanitarian law.

According to Yemen’s Ministry of Health in Sana’a, the number of civilian casualties resulting from Saudi attacks since September 3 has reached 82 killed and injured, including 44 civilians killed, among them 5 children, as a result of bombardment targeting the governorates of Al-Jawf, Al-Hodeidah, Taiz, Saada, Sana’a, and Hajjah.

This toll reveals the scale of the humanitarian cost borne by civilians, particularly as the casualties occurred in populated areas, further increasing the risks posed by such attacks to civilian lives and leaving devastating consequences for families that have lost members or found themselves facing new injuries and losses.

The Central Prison in Al-Jawf Governorate was also subjected to an airstrike by Saudi aircraft, in a crime that resulted in a large number of casualties.

According to the Ministry of Health, this attack alone left 35 people killed and 7 injured, bringing the total number of casualties to 42, a toll that reflects the gravity of the attack and its direct impact on human lives.

The seriousness of this crime is not limited to the scale of the human losses. Targeting a facility holding people in detention entails specific obligations under international humanitarian law and calls for a serious investigation into the circumstances of the attack and the extent to which it respected the principles of distinction and proportionality, as well as the requirement to take necessary precautions to protect lives.

The death of 5 children among the civilian fatalities further compounds the humanitarian tragedy, as children once again find themselves among the primary victims of Saudi bombardment, despite being among those who are supposed to receive the highest level of protection during armed conflicts.

These figures place the international community before a legal and humanitarian responsibility to address the ongoing Saudi violations against civilians, rather than limiting its response to political positions and assessments based on interests.

The continued loss of civilian lives across several governorates, along with the repeated targeting of facilities and areas where civilians are present, makes it imperative to conduct independent and transparent investigations into all attacks that have resulted in civilian deaths and injuries, hold those responsible accountable for any violations established by the investigations, and ensure that perpetrators do not escape punishment.

As the names of victims continue to accumulate on new lists, the lives of Yemeni civilians remain an inherent right that must not be reduced to a number in news bulletins, nor should targeting them become normalized in the face of the international community’s silence.