Sep 25, 2018

Report: Civilian deaths in Yemen up 164%

Haley Britzky

A displaced Yemeni woman. — A displaced Yemeni woman in the Hodeidah province. Photo: STR/AFP/Getty Images

Civilian deaths in the ongoing war in Yemen have increased 164% since June, the International Rescue Committee reported on Tuesday.

The big picture: Citing the monitoring group Armed Location and Event Data (ACLED), the IRC attributed the increase in deaths to Saudi-led coalition efforts to retake Hodeidah, a port city crucial to the functioning of the already-embattled country. Earlier this month, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Congress that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were working to "reduce the risk of harm to civilians."

Pentagon spokeswoman Cmdr. Rebecca Rebarich told Axios: "While we do not independently verify claims of civilian casualties in which we are not directly involved; we call upon all parties to take all feasible precautions to avoid harm to civilians."

Add Axios on Google

Report: Civilian deaths in Yemen up 164%

What to read next