Yemen: On December 26, during 2017 and 2018, the US-Saudi aggression deliberately committed heinous war crimes and acts of genocide through brutal airstrikes targeting innocent civilians in markets, homes, and displacement camps in the governorates of Taiz, Hajjah, and Sa'adah.

These airstrikes resulted in 58 martyrs and over 90 injuries, including women and children. They also caused widespread destruction of properties, homes, and businesses, killed livestock, terrified residents, pursued displaced families, and deepened grief in dozens of households that lost breadwinners. These acts exacerbated living conditions and escalated waves of displacement, leaving behind shocking humanitarian scenes.

Key Incidents

2017: 139 Victims in a Massacre at a Taiz Market

On this day, the US-Saudi-UAE coalition added a barbaric war crime and act of genocide to its record against Yemen. Airstrikes targeted the crowded Al-Shuhra Market in the Al-Haymah area of Al-Taiziyah District, Taiz Governorate, killing 54 people and injuring 85 others. Among the victims were nine children and five women, with 20 children and 10 women among the injured.

The strikes obliterated shops, food storage facilities, and livelihoods, transforming the market into a horrific scene of devastation. The repeated strikes hampered rescue efforts, increasing casualties. Families searched for loved ones among the debris, facing heart-wrenching sights of bodies torn apart and scattered limbs hanging from trees due to the explosions.

2017: Airstrikes on Civilians in Sa'adah

On the same day, airstrikes targeted civilian homes in Bani Maeen, Razih District, Sa'adah Governorate, injuring several people and destroying properties. The attacks forced families to flee in terror, further compounding their suffering.

2018: Targeting a Displaced Family in Hajjah

A year later, on the same date, the coalition committed another war crime, targeting a displaced family in the Al-Sudi area of Hayjah, Mastaba District, Hajjah Governorate. The airstrike killed two people and injured four women, destroying their makeshift shelter.

The attack reduced the family’s hut, made of straw and cloth, to ashes. Among the victims were a mother and her infant son, while the survivors suffered severe burns and injuries. 

These incidents are just a fraction of the war crimes documented on December 26, as many atrocities remain unreported. They highlight the US-Saudi aggression's systematic targeting of civilians, particularly displaced families, in direct violation of international humanitarian law.

The international community, including the United Nations, the International Court of Justice, and the International Criminal Court, must take decisive action to hold the perpetrators accountable and deliver justice to the victims of these appalling crimes.