One Saudi coalition airstrike hit the gate at the main public hospital in Hodeidah earlier today, and another struck the fishing port at the fish market. Initial reports indicate that as many as 45 people were killed and wounded in the hospital strike, and dozens more were killed and wounded in the fish market attack:

Medics resources in #Hodeidah city in western #Yemen reported that morethan 80 people were killed and wounded today in two attacks by Saudi airstrikes on the gate of al-Thoura hospital and the fish market in the center of #Hodeidah. https://t.co/9IsT0o1G3R — Fatik Al-Rodaini (@Fatikr) August 2, 2018

#Breaking: #Saudi led coalition jets targeted the gate of “Althwra” hospital in #Hodeidah#Yemen.

Dozens were killed and injured.

The hospital called on citizens to donate blood to save the wounded. — Ahmad Algohbary (@AhmadAlgohbary) August 2, 2018

#Breaking: First photos of the aftermath of #Saudi led coalition attack on the gate of “Althwra” hospital in #Hodeidah#Yemen.

Dozens were killed and injured.

I had to blur these photos. pic.twitter.com/X5zHFWsmgg — Ahmad Algohbary (@AhmadAlgohbary) August 2, 2018

Al Thawra is the busiest hospital in western Yemen. This is what it was like when I visited at the end of last year: https://t.co/Q2wfbJ75DN

At least 20 dead, some reports of 50 in coalition airstrike today. — Iona Craig أيونا كريچ (@ionacraig) August 2, 2018

Around 80 reportedly killed/injured in two Saudi/UAE aerial attacks today: one on the Fish souk, the other on althawra hospital in Hodeidah cityhttps://t.co/JhSrNoz1jH — Dr Karim (@StopDestroYemen) August 2, 2018

#BREAKING 26 killed, 35 wounded in Saudi led coalition strikes on fishing port in fish market in Hodeidah, #Yemen (Medical sources, Reuters) — Mustafa Bağ (@mustafa__bag) August 2, 2018

Saudi coalition attacks on markets and hospitals are unfortunately common in this war. These attacks demonstrate the coalition’s blatant disregard for civilian lives and they put the lie to U.S. claims that our government’s support for the war reduces the number of civilian casualties. Providing the coalition with precision-guided weapons doesn’t do any good if they are deliberately targeting civilian structures, and there is ample evidence from the last three years of the bombing campaign to prove that they have been doing exactly that. As Iona Craig notes above, the hospital in question is the busiest in the region, so there is no question that the coalition knew what they were hitting and did so on purpose. The attack on the fish market is consistent with the coalition’s systematic, deliberatetargeting of sources of food production.

As I noted earlier this week, the coalition targets sanitation and water infrastructure in Hodeidah and elsewhere in Yemen. UNICEF warned this week that these attacks risked causing a new outbreak of cholera:

The U.N. children’s agency warned Wednesday of the potential for another cholera outbreak in war-torn Yemen after airstrikes hit water facilities and other civilian infrastructure in the port city of Hodeida. UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said in a statement the airstrikes earlier this week damaged a sanitation facility and a station that supplies most of the city’s water.

Hodeidah’s remaining residents are at risk from disease and starvation, and they are also in danger of being slaughtered by coalition bombs and missiles. The Hodeidah offensive will result in many more senseless, illegal attacks like the two that happened today, and it also threatens to cut off millions from their food supply. It is imperative that the U.S. end all military assistance to the coalition and demand a halt to the offensive at once.

Update: Death toll from the airstrikes now stands at 52 with 107 injured.

Second Update:

Yemen health ministry spokesman Dr Yousif Hadhri, confirmed the death toll of US-Saudi madsacre against civilians In hospital&fish market in Red Sea city of Hodeida 55 dead 130 seriously injured All of them civilians:patients, vendors, passers-by,fishermen, shoppers etc pic.twitter.com/SalFA5ORNh — Nasser Arrabyee (@narrabyee) August 2, 2018

Third Update: The numbers of confirmed dead and injured continue to rise: