February 9th: An Open Bloody Record of the US-Saudi-Emirati Aggression Against Yemen
On this day, February 9th, the chapters of the crime committed by the US-Saudi-Emirati aggression against Yemen, its land and people, are renewed. This aggression has involved years of systematic targeting of civilians, homes, farms, and infrastructure, in flagrant violation of all international laws and norms, and with the complicit silence of an international community. It is a day heavy on the national memory, a day on which evidence piles up of a war devoid of morality and red lines.
February 9, 2016: Wheat Bombed, Homes Buried Under Rubble
On this day in 2016, a citizen was killed in the Al-Hamaqi area of the Baqim border district in Saada Governorate, as a result of a Saudi missile attack that also destroyed and damaged a number of civilian homes.
In an even more telling crime, four civilians were killed in an airstrike that targeted a truck loaded with wheat in the Haydan district, a scene that encapsulates the war of starvation adopted by the aggression as a tool of mass killing.
The districts of Munabbih, Al-Dhaher, Sahar, Razih, Saqayn, and Baqim witnessed dozens of airstrikes targeting villages, farms, and private property. These attacks extended to the governorates of Ibb, Hodeidah, Ma’rib, Al-Jawf, Sana’a, the Capital Secretariat, and Taiz, where factories, schools, food warehouses, communications networks, educational facilities, and service buildings were targeted, resulting in widespread fires and extensive damage to residential areas.
February 9, 2017: Escalation of Air and Sea Attacks and Targeting of Fishermen
In 2017, the aggression intensified its air and sea attacks, launching dozens of airstrikes on the Sarwah district of Ma’rib and on large areas in Sa’dah, Taiz, and Hodeidah.
Serious crimes were committed against fishermen, including targeting their boats in Al-Khawkhah and bombing the islands of Kamaran and Zuqar, in direct violation of civilians’ right to earn a living.
February 9, 2018: Cluster Bombs Continue to Claim Lives
In 2018, two children and a woman were injured by a cluster bomb remnant from the aggression in Al-Tuhayta, Hodeidah Governorate. This incident underscores the continued danger posed by internationally prohibited weapons left behind even after the cessation of airstrikes.
February 9, 2019: Intensified Bombing and Expanded Targeting
This year witnessed a wave of widespread airstrikes on the capital, Sana’a, as well as Sa’dah, Al-Jawf, and Hajjah, in addition to Saudi artillery and missile shelling of border villages.
Schools, farms, and residential areas in Ma’rib and Hodeidah were also targeted, with hundreds of shells and missiles fired and combat fortifications established amidst villages, showing complete disregard for civilian lives.
February 9, 2020: Nehm and Al-Jawf Under Fire
The aggression continued its heavy airstrikes on the districts of Nehm, Al-Matun, Al-Ghayl, and Al-Maslub, coinciding with Saudi shelling of Razih and a large-scale escalation of fighting in Hodeidah. Residential areas were subjected to Katyusha rocket and heavy artillery fire, causing significant damage to civilian homes and farms.
February 9, 2021: Martyrs and Wounded in Border Villages
In 2021, one civilian was killed and five others were wounded in a Saudi missile attack on the Shada district of Saada Governorate. Meanwhile, airstrikes continued on Marib and Hodeidah, with the establishment of new fortifications within populated areas.
February 9, 2022: The Capital Under Bombardment and Communication Networks Targeted
This day witnessed direct airstrikes targeting neighborhoods in the capital, Sana’a, and the bombing of communications networks in Sana’a Governorate, in a clear attempt to disrupt civilian services. Intensive airstrikes also targeted Hodeidah, Hajjah, and Marib.
February 9, 2023: Remnants of Aggression Claim Civilian Lives
In the latest recorded crime, two civilians were killed and a third injured by an explosion of remnants of aggression in Hodeidah Governorate. This is a direct continuation of the war’s consequences even after years of bombardment, with ongoing artillery shelling and the establishment of new military fortifications.
Documented Crimes and Blood That Will Not Be Forgotten
February 9th is not just a passing date, but a living testament to the nature of the American-Saudi-Emirati aggression, which has turned Yemen into an open arena for killing and destruction, and civilians into direct targets.
Documented crimes, blood that will not be forgotten, and a moral and legal responsibility that will haunt the aggressors no matter how much time passes.