Amnesty International Calls on Congress to Investigate US Strike on Migrant Detention Center in Northern Yemen
Yemen Monitor/Newsroom:
Amnesty International reported that a US air strike carried out on April 28 on a migrant detention center in Saada governorate, northwestern Yemen, killed dozens of civilians and severely injured others, necessitating an independent investigation in accordance with international humanitarian law.
The organization warned that this strike is part of a series of increasing US air strikes since March 2025 that have resulted in hundreds of civilian casualties in Yemen.
Amnesty International explained that analyses based on satellite imagery and verified video footage revealed that the attack targeted a prison complex that includes the migrant detention center, where 115 migrants, mostly from Ethiopia, were residing. The attack resulted in the death of 68 individuals and the injury of 47 others.
The worsening situation led to Al-Jumhouri and Al-Talh hospitals in Saada being overwhelmed with bodies and the injured, while medical staff were forced to line up the bodies of the victims outside the morgues due to lack of capacity.
Eyewitnesses who spoke to the organization confirmed that the injured suffer from amputations, fractures, and critical conditions, representing a severe humanitarian tragedy.
Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, condemned the attack, stressing that the US must adhere to the controls of humanitarian law, which mandate distinguishing between military and civilian targets, and using the utmost caution to avoid civilian casualties.
She also demanded an immediate and transparent investigation into the air strike and any other attacks that may have violated international laws, noting that shrapnel analysis confirmed the use of GBU-39 guided bombs, which reinforces the importance for the US Central Command to assess battle damage and announce it promptly.
The organization drew attention to the fact that the detention center has been used by the Houthis for years to detain migrants, and is regularly visited by staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). This fact should have cautioned US forces about the potential for widespread casualties due to the presence of trapped civilians.
It also referred to another strike that caused severe damage to the same location in 2022, when more than 90 detainees were killed by strikes from the Saudi-led Coalition.
For its part, the ICRC confirmed a large number of casualties following the attack, amidst the difficulty for independent inspectors to access the site due to restrictions imposed by the Houthis, who impose strict censorship on information and investigations.
These developments come amid continuous military escalation since the start of the US bombing campaign against the Houthis in March 2025, during which the Houthis responded by launching rockets and drones targeting sites in the Red Sea and the Middle East region. On a related note, the US announced on May 6 the suspension of its campaign against the Houthis, amidst escalating pressure and humanitarian and field repercussions.
Amnesty International demanded that the US Congress fulfill its oversight role, ensure the continuation of civil harm mitigation programs, and not backtrack on its commitment to international humanitarian law, stressing that scaling back these efforts increases civilian suffering and exposes US forces to potential prosecutions for legal violations.
