February 7: A Day in Yemen’s Memory and Crimes of Aggression That Will Not Be Forgotten
February 7th adds a new chapter of criminality to the dark record of the American-Saudi-Emirati aggression, a day on which the strategy of systematic destruction was manifested in its most heinous form.
On this day, the targets were not alleged military sites, but rather hospitals, markets, water reservoirs, mosques, and bridges, in a declared war on all aspects of life. Its aim was to subjugate the Yemeni people by targeting their infrastructure, livelihoods, and health and water security, in war crimes that shame humanity.
2016: Bombing of Hospitals and Destruction of Water Reservoirs
On February 7, 2016, the aggression revealed its moral bankruptcy by directly targeting medical facilities. Dr. Omar al-Hashemi and a nurse were injured in airstrikes that targeted al-Quds Military Hospital in Sana’a.
In another crime, airstrikes destroyed the main water reservoir in the Al-Nahdain area of the capital, Sana’a, and launched six raids to destroy telecommunications towers on Jabal Ayban. They also targeted the Saqam Dam in Ma’rib, in a premeditated attempt to cripple essential services. In Sa’dah, four civilians were killed in an airstrike on a public road in the Baqim district.
2017: The Al-Mukha Market Massacre and the Targeting of Poultry Farms
On February 7, 2017, a horrific massacre occurred in the city of Al-Mukha in Taiz, where airstrikes targeted the central Al-Mukha market, resulting in the deaths and injuries of several civilians and the destruction and burning of numerous shops.
In another crime, a woman was killed and her two children were injured by artillery shelling from mercenaries targeting their home in the Al-Salw district. The aggression also targeted food security by bombing a poultry farm in Beit Al-Faqih in Hodeidah and using cluster bombs in Zabid.
2018: Targeting Women in Their Homes and Destroying Bridges
On February 7, 2018, the targeting of women in their homes resumed. A woman and her daughter were killed, and her husband was injured in an airstrike that targeted their home in the Al-Salw district of Taiz, a crime reflecting the extent of the aggression’s malice. In Amran, warplanes destroyed a vital bridge on the main road in the city of Houth, continuing their strategy of isolating cities and fragmenting the country. Dozens of airstrikes were also launched on the governorates of Saada, Hajjah, and Hodeidah.
2019: Bombing of Civilian Homes and Continued Violations in Hodeidah
On February 7, 2019, the aggression’s warplanes launched two airstrikes on a civilian’s home in the Kushar district of Hajjah, while border districts in Saada were subjected to Saudi missile and artillery shelling.
In Hodeidah, the mercenaries continued their blatant violations of the Stockholm Agreement, launching heavy artillery and machine gun fire on the besieged city of Al-Durayhimi and residential areas near the Al-Ittihad Hotel, directly targeting civilians. 2020: Schools bombed in Hodeidah, livestock killed
On February 7, 2020, mercenaries of the aggression targeted the July 7 School and nearby civilian homes in Al-Hali district of Hodeidah, adding to the long list of attacks on educational facilities.
In Hajjah, five airstrikes on Bakil Al-Mir district resulted in the death of several livestock and damage to civilian homes, in a systematic attack on their livelihoods.
2021-2023: Deadly remnants of aggression and ongoing border crimes
The crimes continued on February 7th throughout these years. In 2021, a girl was killed and two others were injured when a bomb left over from the aggression exploded while they were playing in Nihm district of Sana’a.
In 2022 and 2023, border crimes continued, with civilians killed and wounded by Saudi army fire and shelling in Munabbih and Shada districts of Sa’dah. Violations continued in Hodeidah, including the construction of fortifications and artillery shelling. A War on Life… and Resilience that Defies Destruction
February 7th is a day that clearly reveals the aggression against Yemen as a total war on life itself. Those who bomb a hospital, destroy a water reservoir, and target a public market are declaring their hostility towards humanity and its most basic rights. Yet, every missile and shell has only increased the Yemeni people’s resilience, steadfastness, and belief in the inevitability of victory over the forces of evil and aggression.