At least 68 African migrants have been killed and dozens more injured after a detention facility in northern Yemen’s Saada province was struck by an airstrike, which Houthi authorities say was carried out by the United States.
The Houthi-run Al Masirah TV reported that the facility, housing over 100 migrants at the time, was bombed in the early hours of Monday morning. Shocking footage showed bodies buried under rubble, with survivors being pulled from the debris and rushed to hospitals.
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed it was aware of the reports and said it is conducting a battle-damage assessment. However, Houthi officials accused the US military of intentionally targeting civilians, labeling the incident a “war crime.”
This is not the first time US airstrikes have led to the deaths of African migrants in Yemen. In 2016, at least 27 Somali migrants were killed in a US strike while traveling in Yemeni waters—a tragedy that drew widespread condemnation but resulted in no meaningful accountability.
The latest attack comes amid a renewed and aggressive US military campaign in Yemen. President Donald Trump ordered an escalation in strikes on Houthi-controlled areas in March, with CENTCOM claiming to have hit over 800 targets and killed dozens of Houthi fighters and leaders. Rights groups, however, say civilians have borne the brunt of the intensified campaign.
Eyewitness accounts painted a grim picture. “The strike hit us while we were sleeping,” said one survivor at a local hospital. Community leader Ibrahim Cabdulqaadir Macallin said most of the victims were Ethiopian migrants, with a smaller number of Somalis. He noted that the facility was far from any military sites, dismissing claims of collateral damage.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) both expressed grave concern. “Civilians must be protected at all times,” the IOM said, adding that it was closely monitoring the situation.
Despite the humanitarian catastrophe caused by more than a decade of war in Yemen, thousands of migrants—mostly from Ethiopia and Somalia—continue to make the dangerous journey through the country each year, hoping to reach Saudi Arabia. Many end up in overcrowded and poorly maintained detention centres, facing exploitation and violence along the way.