25 Children Killed Amid Sharp Rise in Bombings Saudi-led coalition air raids reach highest rate in more than a year

the highest number of air raids in a single month since December 2018 and one of the deadliest air raids for children since the coalition's air campaign began in 2015.



155 Saudi-led coalition bombings in the month resulted in 58 civilian casualties, 43 of them children - the highest number of casualties in a single month since August 2019 . All of the civilian casualties in the month occurred in air raid on February 15th was the third most lethal strike for children since the start of the Saudi-led coalition's aerial war in Yemen , surpassed only by a strike on 9 August 2018 that killed 40 children on a school bus and injured a further 74, and the bombing of a wedding on 24 September 2015 that left 38 children dead. February sawsince the coalition's air campaign began in 2015.155 Saudi-led coalition bombings in the month resulted in. All of the civilian casualties in the month occurred in a single air raid in Al-Jawf. The bombing of a residential area in Al-Maslub district killed 35 civilians, the majority, 25, were children and another 18 children were amongst the 23 injured. The, surpassed only by a strike on 9 August 2018 that killed 40 children on a school bus and injured a further 74, and the bombing of a wedding on 24 September 2015 that left 38 children dead.

Sharp rise in air raids amid continued heavy fighting on the ground

Air raids more than doubled in February from already escalating numbers in January that brought to an end a three-month trend of declining bombings in the last quarter of 2019.



In Al-Jawf, 63 bombings marked February 2020 as the worst month for the governorate in the air war since it began almost five years ago. 44% of air raids in the month hit Al-Jawf. This reflected events in the ground conflict as pro-Houthi forces made advances into the governorate capital of Al-Hazm. 48% of bombings in the month hit the three governorate border districts of Al-Ghayl (in Al-Jawf), Majzar (Marib) and Nihm (Sana'a) with 28 air raids, 23 air raids and 23, respectively. No air raids were recorded in Al-Hazm in February, which pro-Houthi fighters reportedly sized control of on March 1st from anti-Houthi forces. Share Tweet Forward

CIVILIAN CASUALTIES UP FROM 4 IN JANUARY 2020

AIR RAIDS UP 118% ON JANUARY



TOTAL NUMBERS MARCH 2015 - FEBRUARY 2020

CIVILIAN CASUALTIES 18,408

AIR RAIDS 20,556

Saudi coalition air raids in February more than doubled from the previous month, a continuation of the near fourfold increase seen in January from the record monthly low of 18 bombings in December 2019.

Civilian casualty numbers jumped from 4 in January to 58.

The highest number of air raids recorded in a single month remains September 2015 at 920, which was also the deadliest month in the air war when at least 756 civilians were killed.

April 2015 saw the highest number of civilian casualties (fatalities and injured) in a single month at 1,745.

In YDP's data the air raid* figure is the most conservative. The true number of individual airstrikes ranges from the minimum of 20,556 to a maximum airstrikes of 58,226 since March 2015. FEBRUARY 2020







In February, 4% of bombings hit civilian targets** 30% hit military targets. In 66% of air raids in February the target could not be identified. Of the 53 air raids where the target could be identified, 87% of bombings hit military sites and 13% non-military sites . Of the 53 air raids where the target was identified in February 2020 46 hit armed forces, military sites and military moving targets.

2 hit residential areas, resulting in 58 civilian casualties.

1 hit a water project in Al-Hudaydah Share Tweet Forward

MOST HEAVILY BOMBED GOVERNORATES FEBRUARY 2020



AL-JAWF: Breakdown of districts targeted

The escalation in air raids in Al-Jawf in January continued through the month of February, with a total of 63 bombings - the worst month on record in the air war for the governorate . The 58 civilian casualties in February were the result of a single air raid in Al-Maslub district that left 25 children dead and a further 18 children injured. Al-Ghayl was the most heavily bombed district in the country in February with 28 air raids . MARIB: Breakdown of districts targeted

Majzar district in Marib, and the neighbouring Sana'a governorate of Nihm to the west, were the second most heavily targeted districts in February, both with 23 air raids, the highest number of bombings in Majzar on record . SANA'A: Breakdown of districts targeted

Nihm, along with Majzar, was the second most heavily bombed district in the continued surge of air raids in February. 48% of bombings in the month hit the three governorate border districts of Al-Ghayl (in Al-Jawf), Majzar (Marib) and Nihm (Sana'a) .

NB: T he governorate of Sana'a is separate to the governorate of the capital city. Share Tweet Forward