March 2nd: A Bloody Record of Documented Crimes Reveals the Targeting of Yemen, Its Land and People
On this day in the years of aggression, the same scene, documented by field reports and eyewitness accounts, is repeated: airstrikes targeting residential neighborhoods, artillery and missile shelling of border villages, and the use of internationally prohibited weapons, leaving civilian casualties and widespread destruction of infrastructure and public and private property.
Tracing the events of March 2nd throughout the years of the US-Saudi-Emirati aggression reveals the extent of the crimes committed against Yemenis, which were spread across several governorates and included markets, homes, farms, and vital facilities.
2016: Widespread Bombing and Use of Prohibited Weapons
On March 2, 2016, the aggression’s warplanes launched a series of airstrikes targeting multiple areas in Sana’a Governorate, most notably the quarries near the Community College in the Sarf area of Bani Hashish District, causing significant damage to neighboring residential areas. The airstrikes also targeted the areas of Al-Hadhā’, Al-Madāraj, and Bani Shakwan in the Nihm district, using internationally prohibited weapons, causing widespread damage to agricultural lands and civilian homes.
The attacks extended to the Khawlan district, where the Al-Arqoub area was targeted, in addition to the bombing of a civilian’s vehicle. In Sa’dah Governorate, the water project in the Barqan area of the Razih district was bombed, while Apache helicopters launched several missiles at the Al-Makhrouq and Al-Qama’ areas, coinciding with heavy artillery shelling of the Kataf district and airstrikes on Baqim and Sahar.
The airstrikes also included the governorates of Al-Jawf, Hajjah, Lahj, Taiz, and Ma’rib, targeting markets, service facilities, residential areas, and public infrastructure, a clear indication of the expanding targeting of civilian infrastructure.
2017: Casualties and Repeated Targeting of Civilian Areas
On March 2, 2017, three civilians were killed and four others, including two children, were wounded in airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition on the Atmah district of Dhamar Governorate. The airstrikes also targeted the Air Force College in the capital, Sana’a, causing damage to nearby buildings.
In Sa’dah Governorate, cluster bomb attacks continued, with airstrikes hitting several areas in the districts of Kataf, Al-Dhaher, and Munabbih. Other areas were subjected to Saudi missile strikes, which damaged farms and property. The airstrikes also extended to the governorates of Hajjah, Al-Jawf, and Al-Hudaydah.
2018: Victims of War Remnants and Air Escalation
In 2018, a child was injured by an explosion of unexploded ordnance in the Haydan district of Sa’dah Governorate, an incident that reflects the continued danger of unexploded ordnance to civilians. The same governorate also witnessed multiple airstrikes targeting residential and agricultural areas.
The Saudi-led coalition launched airstrikes on the capital, Sana’a, and the Bani Matar district, in addition to a series of raids on Sirwah in Ma’rib and several areas in Hajjah, resulting in damage to public and private property.
2019: Intense Bombardment and Targeting of Residential Areas in Hodeidah
On March 2, 2019, a civilian was injured by mortar shells fired by mercenaries at civilian homes in the city of Al-Durayhimi, Hodeidah Governorate. Artillery and rocket fire also targeted wide areas in Al-Tuhayta, Hays, Kilo 16, and Hodeidah city, with dozens of shells and rockets fired at residential neighborhoods and farms.
At the same time, enemy aircraft launched airstrikes on the Nihm district in Sana’a Governorate and the Kushar district in Hajjah Governorate, in addition to other raids on Sa’dah Governorate, as part of the ongoing military operations that targeted civilians and their property.
2020: Casualties and Intensified Artillery Bombardment
In 2020, three civilians were killed and two others were injured as a result of shelling that targeted the Al-Jah area in the Bayt al-Faqih district of Hodeidah Governorate. Artillery and rocket fire continued on various areas of the governorate, along with the establishment of new military fortifications and repeated shelling of residential neighborhoods and civilian property.
2021: Targeting IDP Camps
On March 2, 2021, the Saudi-led coalition warplanes targeted IDP camps in Wadi Dhana, Sirwah District, Marib Governorate, with nine airstrikes, causing significant damage and resulting in the death of a number of livestock. The airstrikes also targeted Saada, Hajjah, and Al Jawf governorates, coinciding with heavy artillery shelling of areas in Hodeidah Governorate.
2022: Widespread Air Escalation and Continued Bombing
In 2022, two civilians were injured by Saudi missile and artillery shelling targeting the Shada border district in Saada Governorate. Meanwhile, the coalition warplanes launched dozens of airstrikes on Hajjah, Al Bayda, Marib, and Al Jawf governorates, coinciding with artillery and missile shelling of several areas in Hodeidah.
2023: Continued Attacks and Spy Raids
In 2023, spy planes launched an attack on Hays District in Hodeidah Governorate, coinciding with artillery shelling and heavy gunfire targeting various areas within the governorate.
An Open Memory of Crimes
Reviewing the events of this day throughout the years of aggression confirms that these crimes were not isolated incidents, but rather a recurring pattern of targeting that affected the Yemeni people and their basic necessities, from markets and homes to farms and infrastructure. These events also reveal the extent of the suffering endured by Yemenis during the years of war, amidst the ongoing bombardment and raids, and the repercussions of prohibited weapons and the remnants of war.