Amnesty International is calling for a full investigation into a U.S. airstrike that killed more than 60 African migrants held in a Houthi-controlled prison in Yemen’s Saada province in April, saying the incident may amount to a war crime.
The strike, carried out on April 28, hit a detention facility known for housing Ethiopian migrants trying to reach Saudi Arabia through Yemen’s dangerous conflict zones. According to Amnesty, the strike was indiscriminate and highlights continued violations committed by all sides involved in the war.
“The U.S. attack on the migrant detention facility in Saada qualifies as an indiscriminate strike and should be investigated as a war crime,” said Kristine Beckerle, Amnesty International’s deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa.
Beckerle also stressed that Houthi prison guards share responsibility. Survivors reported that after a nearby airstrike occurred, detainees begged guards to let them go, but instead the guards fired warning shots and kept them locked inside before the U.S. strike hit the building.
The U.S. Central Command has not yet given a public explanation for the bombing, which targeted a site already previously struck by the Saudi-led coalition. The facility has long been known as a holding center where migrants detained by the Houthis faced harsh conditions.
“Many of these people left Ethiopia seeking work to support their families,” Beckerle noted. “Now their families are sending money to Yemen to help them recover from their injuries.”
U.S. air operations against Houthi targets have increased as part of Operation Rough Rider, hitting more than 1,000 locations throughout Yemen.
