Bridge in Yemen destroyed by an aerial attack in 2017; Credit: HI

Funded by the Luxembourg government, the report published this Friday by Handicap International (HI) provides evidence of the long-term consequences of the use of explosive weapons in populated areas in Yemen.

Through six examples, the document demonstrates that a single air strike is enough to successively bring down food, health, economy and essential services for an entire country: a devastating "domino effect". HI presented the report "Death sentence for civilians: the long-term impact of explosive weapons in populated areas in Yemen" earlier today in New York as part of the UN Economic and Social Council, denounces how the bombing in urban areas have wiped out decades of development.

Air missiles, artillery fire, mortars, improvised explosive devices: in five years of war, the population was the victim of all kinds of explosive weapons, which destroyed bridges, roads, hospitals and caused lasting damage. 

HI's report has shown how the bombings of the past five years will impact the lives of Yemenis for decades: it is the "domino effect", well known to humanitarian workers. The example of the port of Hodeidah, the target of an air strike at the very beginning of the conflict, is telling. This single incident was enough to trigger cascading consequences: immediately, the capacity of this port, the largest in Yemen and normally receiving 70 to 80% of imports of food, medicine and fuel, was reduced drastically; then, the food security of the populations was threatened, because of the lack of available foodstuffs, also generating a strong increase in prices (+28%); and little by little, the reserves of fuel, necessary for the current generators, dried up, disrupting the transport of goods, water supply systems, waste treatment and healthcare facilities.

This 2015 bombing still has harmful effects on the daily lives of millions of Yemenis and this will continue for many years, according to HI.

Alison Bottomley, Advocacy manager for HI in Sanaa and co-author of the report, explained: "Here, half of the health facilities no longer function and the repeated bombings ended up devastating the health infrastructures, which favours the return of certain diseases linked to contaminated water, such as cholera".

With this new document, HI will continue its fight started in 2019 in favour of a strong international political declaration against the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.

Following a suspension of work for several months due to the COVID-19 crisis, HI has relaunched its "Six mois à gagner" (six months to win) awarness campaign in eight countries, including Luxembourg. Last year, citizens sent more than 3,000 emails to Luxembourg MPs via the website www.6moispourgagner.lu asking them to put pressure on the government. The objective is for Luxembourg to take a position in the ongoing diplomatic process and to push for, as it has done in the past, the prohibition of anti-personnel mines.