The Yemeni Center Condemns the Targeting of Aden International Airport and Demands the Protection of Civilians and Civilian Facilities

The Yemeni Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violations and Torture (Will and Hope) condemns in the strongest terms the attack that targeted Aden International Airport at dawn on Wednesday, using ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones, in a grave assault on a vital civilian facility that endangered the lives of passengers, workers, and flight crews, and threatened the safety of air navigation.

According to information received by the Yemeni Center, one of the two missiles fell near the airport runway minutes before the scheduled landing of Yemenia Airways Flight No. (603) arriving from the Egyptian capital, Cairo, carrying civilian passengers. Meanwhile, the attack coincided with the presence of passengers at the airport waiting for a flight bound for Jeddah, alongside workers, staff, and flight crews.

The Yemeni Center emphasizes that targeting airports, facilities, and civilian objects, as well as endangering the lives of civilians, constitutes a grave violation of the rules of International Humanitarian Law and the principles of civilian protection. It also directly impairs citizens’ rights to life, security, and freedom of movement, and threatens one of the most vital civilian ports upon which Yemenis rely for travel, medical treatment, and returning to their country.

The Yemeni Center points out that this attack recalls the attack on Aden International Airport on December 30, 2020, which coincided with the arrival of the Yemeni government at the airport, resulting in fatalities and injuries and causing damage to the airport and its facilities. The Center considers that the repeated targeting of civilian facilities doubles the risks faced by civilians and threatens the safety of vital facilities in Yemen.

The Yemeni Center calls upon the United Nations, the Security Council, international human rights mechanisms, and international bodies competent in civil aviation safety to adopt a clear stance regarding the targeting of civilian facilities, and to work to ensure respect for the rules of International Humanitarian Law and the protection of civilians and vital facilities from military attacks.

The Yemeni Center also demands a serious and independent investigation into the circumstances of the attack, holding accountable everyone whose responsibility is proven for planning, ordering, or participating in its execution, and ensuring that perpetrators of grave violations do not escape accountability.

The Yemeni Center reiterates its affirmation that protecting civilians and civilian facilities must remain a binding obligation for all parties to the conflict, and that civilian airports, means of transport, and facilities serving the population must not be targets for military operations under any circumstances violating the provisions of International Humanitarian Law.

Issued by: The Yemeni Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violations and Torture (Will and Hope)