Human Rights Watch calls for war crimes investigation into US strike on Yemen port

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged an investigation into the US airstrike on Yemen’s Ras Issa Port in April, calling it a potential war crime after it reportedly caused dozens of civilian deaths.

On 17 April, US forces targeted the Ras Issa fuel port in Hodeidah as part of their campaign against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, killing 84 civilians and injuring over 150, according to HRW, citing data from the independent group Airwars.

The US military said the strike aimed to cut off supplies and funds for the Houthis, who control large swathes of Yemen, including the key port city of Hodeidah and the capital Sanaa. Videos of the attack showed multiple explosions and large flames at the site.

About 70 percent of Yemen’s commercial imports and 80 percent of humanitarian aid pass through the Hodeida port.

"The US government’s decision to strike Ras Issa Port, a critical aid entry point, while hundreds of workers were present shows a callous disregard for civilian lives," said Niku Jafarnia, Yemen and Bahrain researcher at HRW.

"The impact on humanitarian aid is devastating, especially as most Yemenis lack access to sufficient food and water amid aid cutbacks."

The US began a military campaign against the Houthis in mid-March to stop their attacks on shipping lanes in the Red Sea and nearby areas. The Houthis had intensified attacks in response to Israel’s war on Gaza, seeking to pressure the global economy to intervene.

On 6 May, a US-brokered deal was announced to halt attacks on commercial ships, but fighting between Houthis and Israel has continued.

HRW’s investigation included satellite images of the damage, reviews of data from other groups, and interviews with relatives of victims. Among those killed were port workers, truck drivers, civil defence personnel, and possibly family members, including children.

The report said there was no evidence of weapons or military supplies at the port, making the US strike "unlawfully indiscriminate." Even if military targets were present, the civilian harm was "unlawfully disproportionate."

Under international humanitarian law, attacks must be directed at specific military objectives and avoid excessive civilian harm. Attacking economic resources as a justification risks making nearly any facility a valid target.

The UN Security Council oversees the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Issa, and Salif to ensure no military presence, under Resolution 2534 adopted in 2020.

HRW warned that serious violations of the laws of war may amount to war crimes, and commanders can be held responsible if they fail to prevent or punish such acts.

The group called on the US to conduct a credible, impartial probe into the Ras Issa strike and other deadly attacks, including a 28 April strike on a migrant detention centre in Saada that killed dozens.

Between 15 March and 28 April, the US said it carried out over 1,000 strikes in Yemen as part of its campaign.

Yemen remains divided between the Houthis, the separatist South Transitional Council, Al-Qaeda militants, and the internationally recognised government now based in Aden after being ousted from Sanaa by the Houthis in 2014.

The decade-long conflict has killed tens of thousands and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with most Yemenis dependent on aid.