Europe’s smaller airports ‘under threat’ if fuel shortages cause many cancellations
Europe's smaller airports may not survive fuel shortages linked to the Middle East crisis.
The Guardian World1 min read
Amnesty calls for US strike on Yemen to be investigated as war crime
TL;DR
Amnesty International is urging an investigation into a US air strike on a migrant detention center in Yemen, which killed at least 68 detainees. The strike, which occurred on April 28, 2025, is being considered a potential war crime.
Key points
- Amnesty International calls for investigation of US air strike
- Strike on April 28, 2025, killed at least 68 detainees
- Detention center previously deemed non-military by international bodies
Mentioned in this story
Amnesty InternationalYemenSaada
Amnesty International has called for a United States air strike on a migrant detention centre in Yemen to be investigated as a possible war crime.
In a report released on Tuesday, the rights group said the strike on April 28, 2025, hit a detention facility in Saada in northwestern Yemen, killing at least 68 detainees and injuring 47.
The detention centre had operated for years as part of a larger prison complex and had previously been visited by representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations, who found no evidence the compound was being used for military purposes.
“The Trump administration’s approach to its air strikes in Yemen from March to May 2025 should have set off alarm bells in the USA and around the world,” said Nadia Dar, director of Amnesty International USA.
“Instead, the US administration has systematically weakened safeguards … while simultaneously displaying a dangerous disregard for the lives of civilians endangered by armed conflicts,” she added.
Survivors say they remain without support
Amnesty said survivors interviewed nearly one year after the strike were still suffering serious physical and psychological harm and many were unable to afford treatment.
The organisation spoke to six Ethiopian men wounded in the attack. It said five were unable to work because of their injuries while most now depended on financial support from relatives.
Four remain in Yemen, and two have returned to Ethiopia. One survivor, identified as Jirata, 30, said he lost one of his legs in the strike and had a metal rod inserted in the other.
“I have lost hope, and I have nothing left that keeps me going,” he said in testimony published by Amnesty.
“The US government caused all this, and as a result [of the air strike], I can no longer work and support myself. I want them to provide any type of reparation that will help with our life in any way possible, something that will revive my hope.”
No public findings released
After the strike, a US defence official said the military was assessing reports of civilian casualties.
Amnesty said that a year later, the US military’s Central Command had not publicly released the findings of any investigation or announced whether accountability measures would be taken.
Amnesty said the Yemen attack was among the deadliest civilian incidents linked to a US strike that it had documented in recent years.
The group also cited a US strike on a school in Minab, Iran, on March 16, which it said killed 156 people, including more than 120 children. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said a separate investigation into another US strike in Minab was continuing.
Q&A
What happened during the US air strike on Yemen's detention center?
On April 28, 2025, a US air strike hit a migrant detention center in Saada, Yemen, resulting in the deaths of at least 68 detainees and injuring 47.
Why is Amnesty International calling for an investigation into the US air strike?
Amnesty International is calling for an investigation because they believe the strike may constitute a war crime, as the facility had been confirmed as non-military by international organizations.
What are the implications of the US air strike on civilians in Yemen?
The air strike raises serious concerns about the US administration's disregard for civilian lives and the weakening of safeguards in military operations, according to Amnesty International.
