Amnesty International on Monday called for an investigation into the US air-strike on a migrant detention center in Sa’ada, Yemen, on April 28, that killed and injured dozens of migrants. This follows months of US air-strikes in Yemen that have resulted in a high number of civilian casualties.

Amnesty International’s secretary general Agnès Callamard stated:

The US attacked a well-known detention facility where the Huthis have been detaining migrants who had no means to take shelter. The major loss of civilian life in this attack raises serious concerns about whether the US complied with its obligations under international humanitarian law, including the rules on distinction and precautions

Callamard also urged the US to conduct a prompt and independent investigation into all US air-strikes in Yemen that may have violated international humanitarian law and resulted in civilian casualties. In particular, she called on the US Congress to scrutinize any ongoing investigations into these strikes and to ensure that existing mechanisms for civilian harm mitigation remain effective in responding to violations of international law.

The organization emphasized that under international humanitarian law (IHL), attacking forces have a responsibility to determine that their intended targets are military objects and not civilian objects. The forces are required to take all necessary precautions to avoid indiscriminate attacks against civilians not directly involved in the conflict. If there is a violation of IHL, resulting in civilian harm, full reparation must be made to the victims and their families, and an investigation into potential war crimes must be carried out. This is in accordance with Rule 1, Rule 15, and Rule 150 of Customary International Humanitarian Law (CIHL), which require parties to an armed conflict to distinguish between civilians and combatants and to take practical precautions to avoid or minimize civilian harm.

On March 15, 2025, the US President Donald Trump’s administration launched Operation Rough Rider against the Houthis in Yemen in response to the Houthis’ threats to attack commercial vessels linked to Israel passing through the Red and Arabian seas. The Houthis’ threat came in response to Israel’s blockade of aid into Gaza. Although the operation ended on May 6, the US forces had attacked more than 800 targets and killed a large number of Houthi fighters.