A suspected U.S. airstrike targeted a detention center for African migrants in Yemen’s northern Saada region, killing 68 people, according to Houthi-controlled television reports. The attack, one of the deadliest in six weeks of intensified U.S. strikes, devastated the facility, scattering corpses among rubble and dust.
The U.S. military has not yet commented on the strike, and typically refrains from providing details about airstrike targets for operational security reasons. The strike took place along a route frequently used by migrants from the Horn of Africa, attempting to reach Saudi Arabia via Yemen, a country riven by ongoing conflict between the Houthi rebels and the internationally recognized government.
Footage from Houthi-run Al Masirah TV showed the aftermath, including bodies buried under debris and survivors calling for help. A survivor, speaking in Amharic, the main language of Ethiopia, was heard crying out for his mother.
The Houthi spokesman, Mohammed Abdulsalam, condemned the attack, calling it a “brutal crime” by the U.S. administration. The location of the strike matched a previous migrant center that was also hit by a Saudi-led airstrike in 2022. Satellite images verified the destruction of a warehouse-like building seen in the footage.
This strike comes amid growing concern over civilian casualties from U.S. airstrikes. In response, three U.S. senators have written to the Pentagon, calling for transparency about the civilian toll.
The civil war in Yemen, ongoing for nearly a decade, has led to a dangerous migration route through the country, as many individuals seek to escape poverty and conflict. The International Organization for Migration reported that over 500 people drowned crossing the Red Sea to reach Yemen in 2024.
Saudi Arabia, seeking to curb undocumented migration, has faced criticism for using force against migrants attempting to cross the border. Human Rights Watch reported that Saudi border guards have killed hundreds of Ethiopian migrants trying to enter the kingdom, a claim the Saudi government has denied.
As Yemen’s war continues, the dangers faced by migrants trying to reach Saudi Arabia persist, with both human rights groups and the international community calling for greater protection and accountability.
