BEIRUT: With Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of daytime fasting, coinciding this year with the latter half of Lent, the Christian season of personal sacrifice leading up to Easter, the Lebanese people face additional challenges during this time but remain hopeful of better days ahead.
For Muslims, obtaining essential food supplies required for iftar, the evening meal with which they break their fast each evening during Ramadan, places additional burdens on many families already facing hardship as a result of the long-running economic crisis in the country, during which the currency has lost about 95 percent of its value.
More recently the fear of an escalation of Hezbollah’s conflict with Israel in southern Lebanon, and the effect it is having on local agriculture, has added another dimension to the crisis.
Fattoush salad, an iftar staple, now costs the equivalent of about $10, as do basic meat dishes, as a result of a lack of official regulation of prices. The cost of a lettuce is more than 130,000 Lebanese pounds ($1.46), packs of other greens are 80,000 pounds and 1 kilogram of onions costs 160,000 pounds.
Vendors say demand is high but supply is low, in part because it is difficult for farmers to work their fields in the south of the country because of cross-border fighting.
“Everything is now priced in US dollars,” said Fatima Al-Masri as she shopped for produce at a vegetable market in Tarik Al-Jadidah, Beirut.
“What about those who are paid in Lebanese pounds? On normal days, our salaries are entirely spent on the first week of the month, let alone during Ramadan.
“Without receiving food boxes containing essential items, such as rice, sugar, oil and cereal, from benevolent people, we wouldn’t have been able to diversify our iftar meals amid the austerity.”
Ibrahim Tarchichi, head of the Bekaa Farmers Association, said cold weather and frost have affected crop yields in Bekaa Valley, pushing up the cost of farm produce. Prices are expected to drop as warmer weather arrives, he added.
“Additionally, there is a high demand for vegetables from both Christians, who depend on them for their fasting, and Muslims, who consider them key ingredients for their iftar meals,” Tarchichi said.
The economic crisis has forced many Lebanese to change their fasting habits during Ramadan in the past few years, especially those who were used to enjoying sweets, juices and pastries at iftar.
Aida, a 50-year-old mother of four young men, said the average cost of a Ramadan meal for her family of six is more than $30, or about 2.7 million Lebanese pounds.
The financial challenges have not only affected meal tables during Ramadan but also the traditional festive decorations that normally brighten up neighborhood streets during the holy month. They have been replaced by posters urging people to fulfill their charitable obligations during Ramadan through donations to help orphans, the sick and other needy people.
The Beirut Bkheir Association, for example, donates money to some mosques in Beirut to help facilitate Taraweeh prayers, a special evening prayer during Ramadan, in cooperation with Dar Al-Fatwa, Lebanon’s highest Sunni religious authority, and its affiliated institutions.
Beirut, like many coastal towns and cities in Beirut, bustles with shoppers during the day and cafes remain open until dawn during Ramadan. This contrasts sharply with the situation in southern border regions affected by the current conflict, however, where population centers have become ghost towns.
In addition to the effects of the political and financial crisis, Beirut is also still coming to terms with the devastating effects of the massive explosion at the city’s port on Aug. 4, 2020. In an attempt to revitalize the city, efforts are being made to attract and entertain people, from the breaking of the fast at iftar until late into the night.
Carts filled with dates, nuts and sweets line illuminated streets bustling with people walking around, chatting in cafes or listening to traditional Ramadan music. Again, an aspect of the festivities involves encouraging people to help others
Zeina Seif from the charitable Ajialouna organization said she sees these efforts during Ramadan as daily opportunities to help people who need medical treatment, provide assistance to the elderly, or empower women.
“Our concern is to help people and revitalize Beirut’s struggling downtown area,” she said. “The situation in the south is difficult and scary but we have relied on God and decided to take the step, and we are working based on Islamic ethics.”
A Ramadan village has been established in Beirut’s city center to bring a spirit of tranquility to the streets. A few hundred yards away, a Ramadan square was set up at the Forum De Beyrouth, which faces the port and was destroyed by the 2020 explosion. Now it has become a gathering point for artists and craftspeople to exhibit their work, a place for Ramadan celebrations, and a food market.
Still, for many people Ramadan is a challenging time as they struggle to make ends meet. When Ramadan began, commentators in traditional and social media urged people who can afford more extravagant iftars and celebrations to refrain from posting pictures of them online, out of respect for those who are hungry, especially Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile tourism experts said that the Israeli escalation of its military operations at the start of Ramadan, targeting areas deep inside Lebanon, has caused many tourists to cancel planned trips to Lebanon during the holy month and Eid holidays.
Jean Abboud, head of the Association of Travel and Tourist Agents in Lebanon, said the sector is “waiting for a ceasefire on the southern border. If security stabilizes, the tourist movement will be better.”
Despite the challenges Beirut comes alive during Ramadan as Lebanese pray for peace
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Despite the challenges Beirut comes alive during Ramadan as Lebanese pray for peace
- Obtaining food for iftar, the daily fast-breaking meal during the holy month, places additional burdens on families already suffering due to the economic crisis in the country
- The fear of escalation of Hezbollah’s conflict with Israel in southern Lebanon, and the effect it is having on local agriculture, adds another dimension to the crisis
Shifting power in Lebanon revives hopes for Beirut port blast accountability
- Judge Tarek Bitar has questioned former security chiefs and ex-Prime Minister Hassan Diab in his Beirut blast investigation
- As Hezbollah’s influence wanes after its battering by Israel, analysts say the path is finally clear for the probe to progress
LONDON: On Aug. 4, 2020, the biggest non-nuclear explosion ever recorded tore through Lebanon’s Port of Beirut, devastating entire neighborhoods and leaving hundreds dead or wounded. Almost five years on, no one has been held to account for the blast.
In a rare breakthrough in the long-stalled inquiry into the explosion, presiding judge Tarek Bitar was recently able to question two former security chiefs — including one who was appearing in court for the first time since his 2020 summons.
This development on April 11 signaled a renewed momentum after years of obstruction and political interference, brought about in part by the election of a new technocratic government and the weakening of the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia.
According to four judicial and two security officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, Bitar questioned Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, head of the General Security Directorate from 2011 to 2023, and former State Security chief Maj. Gen. Tony Saliba.
The momentum continued the following week when Bitar summoned former Interior Minister Nohad Machnouk. Days later, he interrogated former Prime Minister Hassan Diab for more than two hours and remanded him for further questioning.
Lebanon’s judiciary has long been plagued by interference and a political culture resistant to accountability, particularly when powerful groups such as Hezbollah are involved.
Observers say the blast, which killed more than 218 people, remains a painful emblem of Lebanon’s systemic dysfunction.
Fadi Nicholas Nassar, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, described the Beirut port blast as “a reflection of everything that pushed Lebanon to the brink: militia control, a political class beholden to Hezbollah, a weakened judiciary, and corruption at every level — all made worse by the obstruction of justice.”
“How Lebanon handles the investigation now will be the defining moment: a turn toward accountability, or a confirmation that impunity still rules,” he told Arab News.
The investigation into the Beirut port blast ground to a halt in late 2021 after Hezbollah’s then-leader, Hassan Nasrallah, accused Bitar of political bias and called for his replacement.
“The targeting is clear, you are picking certain officials and certain people,” Nasrallah said at the time. “The bias is clear,” he added, demanding that Bitar be replaced with a “transparent” judge.
This public condemnation marked a turning point in what many viewed as a calculated effort to derail the investigation and shield powerful figures from prosecution.
The list of those questioned includes former prime ministers, cabinet ministers, security chiefs, and customs and port authorities — many of whom reportedly have ties to Hezbollah and its allies, including the Amal Movement.
Diab himself was nominated to lead the government in 2019 by Hezbollah and its allies.
Yet the specific charges against these figures remain undisclosed, underscoring the secrecy that has surrounded the investigation since it began.
Critics say the attack on Bitar was part of a broader campaign to undermine the probe.
FAST FACTS
• The Beirut port blast had a force equivalent to 1,000-1,500 tons of TNT, or 1.1 kilotons.
• It registered as a 3.3-magnitude earthquake, with shockwaves disrupting the ionosphere.
• Felt over 200 kilometers away in Cyprus, causing damage to buildings up to 10km from the port.
Makram Rabah, an assistant professor at the American University of Beirut, says Hezbollah and its allies “have tried to implode it through using red tape, through trying to rig and play the system.”
In recent months, however, shifting political dynamics may have reopened the path to justice. Hezbollah’s influence has waned since its 2023-24 conflict with Israel, while the appointment of President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has fueled hopes for progress.
“The new government will definitely empower Tarek Bitar to pursue justice,” Rabah told Arab News, adding that his optimism stems not from the government’s technocratic makeup, “but because it’s a normal functioning government.”
Mohammed Chebaro, a London-based political analyst and researcher, echoed Rabah’s optimism. “Since the defeat of Hezbollah in the latest war — and what I would describe as a regime change — we’ve seen a series of developments that have been broadly welcomed by most Lebanese, and by any sovereign nation,” he told Arab News.
Hezbollah suffered a major blow during its war with Israel, which resulted in the killing of Nasrallah and other top officials, the destruction of much of its military hardware, and the draining of its finances.
Forced to accept a ceasefire deal brokered by the US, the group has since ceded most of its positions south of the Litani River to the Lebanese army, leaving its future uncertain.
Chebaro said the election of Aoun as president in January and the appointment of Salam as prime minister signaled a shift.
“Both leaders appear to be free from foreign influence, whether Syrian or Iranian,” he said, adding that the weakening of Hezbollah’s grip on the country has “automatically paved the way for many initiatives to be relaunched.”
With political space opening, Chebaro believes Bitar now has the latitude to act. “At the moment, Judge Bitar has a free hand — and he will likely continue to have one. The real question is whether the investigation can extend to apprehending and questioning figures with political protection.”
He cited Machnouk as an example. “He’s part of the (Third) Independence Movement, and individuals from this group have generally acted within the law and have been willing to cooperate. Even if they were implicated, they wouldn’t resist presenting themselves for questioning.”
But “the real test,” Chebaro added, “lies with members of the military establishment who served under the Hezbollah-aligned governments of Diab and Najib Mikati.”
“A turning point would be seeing those military officials stand before Bitar — especially if they are backed by political patrons in what’s known as the Shiite Duo alliance of Hezbollah and Amal,” he said. “These are the same individuals who previously rejected the investigation and even accused Judge Bitar of treason for summoning them.”
That puts the new government in a delicate position. “How far are they willing to go?” Chebaro asked. “This is sensitive terrain. Will they pursue full justice, even at the risk of destabilizing the political system, or move more cautiously while rebuilding rule of law?”
Chebaro believes Salam’s government has little choice but to act. “A crime as devastating as the Beirut port explosion would inevitably be a priority for a government seeking to reassert sovereignty and demonstrate to the world that Lebanon has an independent judiciary capable of uncovering the truth.”
The Beirut port blast occurred when a fire ignited 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that had been improperly stored in a warehouse since 2014.
The resulting explosion, widely blamed on years of government negligence and corruption, killed at least 218 people, injured more than 7,000, displaced some 300,000, and caused property damage estimated at over $15 billion.
In the face of a stalled investigation, the families of victims and rights groups began pushing for international intervention.
They “called for a UN-backed, independent factfinding mission that would determine the truth and clearly delineate responsibility for the disaster,” said Nassar of the Middle East Institute.
Lebanon’s new leadership now has an opportunity to reset the course “by backing the call for a UN-backed factfinding mission, ensuring the local investigation moves forward free from obstruction, and letting the truth bring justice to the victims of the Beirut blast,” he added.
In July 2024, a coalition of Lebanese and international groups, survivors, and victims’ families urged members of the UN Human Rights Council to support a resolution establishing an independent factfinding mission into rights violations tied to the explosion.
The call reflected a broader crisis of accountability in Lebanon, where major crimes have routinely gone unpunished.
Lebanon has a long history of political assassinations and violence — including the 2005 killing of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri and the 2012 murder of intelligence chief Wissam Al-Hassan — that have largely evaded accountability.
Investigations have repeatedly been derailed by political interference and a judiciary weakened by corruption and partisan control. However, Nassar pointed to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon as a rare exception.
“The STL was the rare moment when truth broke through Lebanon’s entrenched obstruction and violence, even in the face of the assassination of Wissam Eid, a Lebanese intelligence officer who gave his life to expose the truth,” he said.
However, “since then, international diplomacy has consistently prioritized short-term stability over accountability.
“The STL’s findings, which confirm Hezbollah’s responsibility in Rafic Hariri’s assassination, remain an enduring truth. As Lebanon now faces the probe into the Beirut blast, it has a chance to break from its past.
“Only by committing to truth and accountability can Lebanon begin to undo the forces that have held it hostage for so long.”
Echoing that concern, Middle East expert Chebaro warned that while hope for justice in the Beirut port case remains, the reality is far more complicated. “Many in Lebanon already have a clear idea of who controls the state,” he said. “As much as I hope impunity won’t prevail, the outcome remains uncertain.”
Chebaro said that while those responsible for the storage of the explosive material could, in theory, be identified and prosecuted, the greater challenge lies in whether Lebanon’s political elite is willing to face the consequences.
“Balancing the pursuit of justice with the stability of the current regime — and the future of Lebanon — will ultimately determine how deep this investigation is allowed to go,” he said.
Still, he noted that the resumption of the probe is a positive sign. “The fact that things are moving again is, at least, encouraging,” Chebaro said.
That cautious optimism is shared by Rabah of the American University of Beirut. While skeptical that Bitar can uncover the full truth on his own, Rabah said the investigation is a step in the right direction.
“I don’t believe that Tarek Bitar on his own will be able to actually know what really happened, because the way he’s going about it is only exploring the technical aspect,” he said.
“But in all cases, we do have reason to be optimistic, be it in the investigation of Tarek Bitar or any other one.”
Lebanese women learn to shoot for self-defense, apply for gun licenses
- According to the women who request shooting training, the No. 1 reason is self-defense
BEIRUT: The number of civilian women applying to the Ministry of Defense for licenses to possess firearms in Lebanon is on the rise.
Gun ownership in Lebanon is a phenomenon that dates back to before the civil war in the 1970s, and its complexities continue to have an impact due to the misuse of weapons and the consequences that follow.
While this phenomenon has been associated with masculinity, the participation of women in bearing arms alongside men in the military and security forces over the past two decades has broken this exclusivity. It seems to have opened the door widely for civilian women to dare to acquire firearms and even train in their use for security-related reasons.
Cynthia Yaacoub, 33, a Lebanese firearms instructor, said: “In Lebanon, we have a gun culture — and I do not mean a culture of weapon collectors — but we lack training on how and when to use firearms properly and safely, and what the consequences are of using them incorrectly, both technically and legally.”
In an interview with Arab News at the shooting range of the Lebanese General Security in Beirut, Yaacoub said: “Lebanese people from my generation — those in their 30s and 40s — are learning to shoot from YouTube, and even children have learned about guns through the game PUBG and have developed a fondness for firearms. As for those in their 50s, they are divided into two groups: one that has already experienced gun possession and used weapons during the civil war, and another that rejected firearms and still fears them and fears for their children.
“There are many reasons why Lebanese women acquire firearms,” she continued. “According to the women who request shooting training, the number one reason is self-defense. Some of them have husbands who work abroad and need to protect themselves. Others view shooting as a hobby, just like practicing any other sport. There are also women in their 50s and 60s who feel they have fulfilled their roles as mothers and now want to explore adventure and do things they did not do in their youth — so they turn to more extreme sports like horseback riding, shooting, and skydiving.”
Hanan Demian decided to learn shooting “after seeing instructor Cynthia doing it on social media. I believe this hobby enhances focus and self-confidence, and I love adventure.”
Based on over six years of training experience, Yaacoub says: “Lebanese women possess a high level of focus and calmness, which enables them to master shooting more quickly. When they leave the club, they experience a significant sense of empowerment, even if they are not carrying a weapon. They gain greater self-confidence and a sense of authority, which I also experience. Since I learned to shoot and became an instructor, no one has dared to disrespect me, despite my non-violent nature and the fact that I do not carry a gun.”
Yaacoub added: “Some husbands bring their wives with them to practice shooting. I have an entire family who trains in shooting. The clubs do not accept trainees under the age of 18.”
But is shooting not a means to master the act of killing, rather than to appreciate the value of life, particularly in Lebanon where firearms are often used for trivial reasons and many fall victim?
“Certainly, it serves as a method for all those who train in shooting to understand human value,” Yaacoub said. “They ask me, ‘how can one kill another?’ We train to shoot at a piece of paper and feel its terror, so how can one shoot at humans and animals? Part of shooting training is to educate the person to think carefully before shooting, except in the most extreme cases, where the choice is between life and death. During the training sessions I conduct in Beirut and Doha at the request of a shooting club there, we have a lawyer and a psychologist present to explain the consequences of gunfire.”
Previously, Yaacoub organized training sessions for Mother’s Day and International Women’s Day under the theme “Empowering Women.” Additionally, for Valentine’s Day, couples participated, and during Christmas, she issued vouchers that sold exceptionally well, “as people found them to be an unconventional gift compared to traditional options like perfume and gold.”
At a sports club in Beirut, Yaacoub organized training sessions for children on shooting with pellets “to teach children discipline and refined shooting skills, so they do not grow up to harm one another.”
Yaacoub also promotes training courses in Poland on social media. “I trained at an academy in Poland, which was a distinct experience. The shooting takes place outdoors, and one can earn a certification that opens up job prospects in security agencies or enhances one’s career, potentially leading to becoming a trainer. Thus far, women who learn shooting tend to view it merely as a hobby akin to kickboxing. I have yet to meet a girl who has transitioned to professionalism or expresses a desire to do so. In this regard, I miss having a female partner to train with, someone whose advice I can hear as she hears mine.”
Lebanese army dismantled ‘over 90 percent’ of Hezbollah infrastructure near Israel: security official
- “We have dismantled over 90 percent of the infrastructure in the area south of the Litani,” the official said
- Aoun, on a visit to the UAE, said the Lebanese army was “fulfilling its role without any problems or opposition”
BEIRUT: The Lebanese army has dismantled “over 90 percent” of Hezbollah’s infrastructure near the border with Israel since a November ceasefire, a security official said Wednesday.
“We have dismantled over 90 percent of the infrastructure in the area south of the Litani,” the official, who requested anonymity as the matter is sensitive, told AFP.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun meanwhile said in an interview with Sky News Arabia that the army was now in control of over 85 percent of the country’s south.
The November truce deal, which ended over a year of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, was based on a UN Security Council resolution that says Lebanese troops and United Nations peacekeepers should be the only forces in south Lebanon.
Under the deal, Hezbollah was to pull its fighters north of Lebanon’s Litani River, some 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli border, and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure to its south.
Much of Hezbollah’s robust underground infrastructure in the south was “filled and closed” by the army, the official said.
Soldiers have also reinforced their control of crossing points into the area south of the Litani “to prevent the transfer of weapons from the north of the river to the south.”
Aoun, on a visit to the United Arab Emirates, said the Lebanese army was “fulfilling its role without any problems or opposition.”
He said the single obstacle to the full deployment of soldiers across the border area was “Israel’s occupation of five border positions.”
Under the ceasefire agreement, Israel was to withdraw all its forces from south Lebanon, but its troops remain in five positions that it deems “strategic.”
The security official meanwhile said that Hezbollah has been cooperating with the army.
“Hezbollah withdrew and said ‘do whatever you want’... there is no longer a military (infrastructure) for Hezbollah south of the Litani,” the official said.
The official added that most of the munitions found by the army were either “damaged” by Israeli bombing or “in such bad shape that it is impossible to stock them,” prompting the army to detonate them.
Lebanese Druze call for quelling sedition in Syria, condemn Israeli intervention
- Intervention came a day after clashes near the Syrian capital Damascus left a reported 13 people dead
- Fighting was prompted after an audio clip supposedly of a senior Druze figure insulting the Prophet Muhammad circulated, promoting violence on Jaramana
BEIRUT: The Druze community in Lebanon, represented by its political and spiritual leaders, unanimously agreed in an urgent meeting on Wednesday in Beirut on the “necessity of quelling sedition in Syria in light of the bloody events that unfolded in Jaramana and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya.”
They condemned “every insult made against the Prophet” and called for calm, dialogue, and for the Syrian administration to conduct a transparent investigation into what happened.
The intervention came a day after clashes near the Syrian capital Damascus left a reported 13 people dead. The fighting was prompted after an audio clip supposedly of a senior Druze figure insulting the Prophet Muhammad circulated, promoting violence on the predominantly Druze town of Jaramana.
Former leader of the Progressive Socialist Party, Walid Jumblatt, announced during the meeting his willingness to travel to the Syrian Arab Republic and meet President Ahmed Al-Sharaa “to engage in dialogue for the sake of preserving brotherhood.”
Jumblatt emphasized his rejection of “Israeli intervention through the use of Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif’s followers to entangle the Druze of Lebanon and Syria in a conflict against all Muslims,” stressing his disapproval of “the repeated visits made by Druze delegations to Israel seeking its support, which have not been successful.”
He expressed his concern regarding “the involvement of figures from the former Syrian regime in inciting discord.”
Jumblatt said there are “hundreds like Ibrahim Huweija,” referring to the Syrian officer who was arrested in Syria last March and is accused of assassinating the Druze leader Kamal Jumblatt in the 1970s.
On Wednesday morning, Jumblatt engaged in extensive communications that “included the new Syrian administration, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Jordan,” as stated in a release from the Progressive Socialist Party.
He urged “the relevant parties to work toward establishing a ceasefire in the Ashrafiyat Sahnaya area to halt the bloodshed.”
Jumblatt requested that “matters be addressed based on the principles of the state and the unity of Syria with all its components.”
According to PSP, “as a result of the communications, an agreement was reached to implement a ceasefire that has come into effect.”
Sheikh Akl Sami Abi Al-Mona, the Druze spiritual leader, said at the beginning of the meeting: “The objective is to avert the worsening situation for our people in Syria, with whom we share ties of faith, kinship, and Arab and Islamic identity.”
He warned of “a discord plot that was being prepared in Syria, based on a video clip on social media that turned out to be fabricated to sow discord between the Druze and Sunnis in Syria, a country currently fertile ground for this changing reality.”
Abu Al-Mona affirmed that “Druze are unitarians and our religion is Islam.”
He added: “We refuse to be an independent national identity and we only embrace our Arab and Islamic affiliation. We refuse to be in confrontation with the Sunnis, with whom we share the Islamic faith.
“What happened in Syria proves that there is a hidden hand working on fueling the conflict.
“Not only do we condemn the action, the reaction and the clash on social media, but also the violation of holy sites, and we will work to stop the hateful rhetoric.
“The Syrian state must control the fragmented factions and intervene immediately to stop the ongoing security collapse.”
Abu Al-Mona stressed that “Israel seeks to execute its expansion plans,” adding that “we will only accept our Arab and Islamic affiliation.”
He described the situation as “critical” and the reactions as “hasty.”
Abu Al-Mona held local and external calls, notably with Syria’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Osama Al-Rifai and Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, as part of the cooperative efforts to control the situation in Jaramana and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya and to address potential dangers.
The main road linking Beirut to Damascus was blocked in Aley, Mount Lebanon, this afternoon, in protest against the developments taking place in Jaramana.
Migrants’ dreams buried under rubble after deadly strike on Yemen center
- In a nearby hospital in Saada, emaciated African men were recovering from their wounds after surviving the attack that tore their friends to pieces
- The tragedy brought back memories of a March 2021 blaze at a Sanaa migrant center that killed 45 people
SAADA: Africans in search of a better future became the latest casualties of Yemen’s decade-long conflict after a deadly strike blamed on the United States hit a migrant detention center, killing dozens of people.
The pre-dawn attack on Monday killed more than 60 people in their sleep, the country’s Houthi militants said, attributing the raid to the US military.
Rubble, blood and body parts dotted the grounds of the compound in Houthi-held Saada, with several buildings left in ruins, twisted metal glittering in the sun.
In a nearby hospital, emaciated African men were recovering from their wounds after surviving the attack that tore their friends to pieces.
Dead bodies ripped apart, I can’t describe what I saw... A hand here, a leg there. I don’t want to remember
Abed Ibrahim Saleh, 34, from Ethiopia
“The planes struck close by twice. The third time they hit us,” said Abed Ibrahim Saleh, 34, a soft-spoken Ethiopian whose head and leg were wrapped in white gauze.
“Dead bodies ripped apart, I can’t describe what I saw... A hand here, a leg there. I don’t want to remember,” he said with a blank stare.
Since mid-March, Washington has conducted near-daily air strikes on the Iran-backed Houthis in a bid to stop their campaign of attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, launched in solidarity with Palestinians after the outbreak of the Gaza war.
US strikes on the militants began under former president Joe Biden, but have resumed and intensified under his successor Donald Trump.
Fleeing conflict
Footage broadcast by the Houthis’ Al-Masirah TV at the time of the attack showed bodies lying under the rubble as rescue teams searched for survivors.
The tragedy brought back memories of a March 2021 blaze at a Sanaa migrant center that killed 45 people and was sparked by teargas canisters fired by Houthi forces responding to a protest.
Each year, tens of thousands of migrants cross the Red Sea from the Horn of Africa, fleeing conflict, natural disasters and poor economic prospects.
This brutal aggression that killed the sons of Palestine and the Yemeni people is now targeting poor migrants
Ibrahim Al-Moallem from Yemen’s Somali community
Inspecting the wreckage, Ibrahim Abdul Qadir Mohammed Al-Moallem, a member of Yemen’s Somali community, denounced the “heinous crime” against innocent people.
“This brutal aggression that killed the sons of Palestine and the Yemeni people is now targeting poor migrants,” he said, blaming the United States for the attack.
The Houthis, who have also repeatedly launched missiles and drones at Israel, paused their attacks during a recent two-month ceasefire in Gaza, but had threatened to resume them after Israel cut off aid to the territory over an impasse in negotiations.
Before they could, however, the intensified US campaign resumed, hitting more than 1,000 targets in insurgent-held Yemen since March 15. The Houthi’s attacks since then have only targeted US warships.
“There is no justification for this,” Moallem said, calling on African leaders to take a stance and urging the international community to “break your silence.”
'Conducting assessment'
Asked about the strike, a US defense official told AFP the army was aware of reports of civilian casualties “and we take those claims very seriously.”
“We are currently conducting our battle-damage assessment and inquiry into those claims,” they said on condition of anonymity.
The United Nations expressed deep concern at Monday’s strike, while Niku Jafarnia of Human Rights Watch said US attacks “are appearing to kill and injure civilians in Yemen at an alarming rate over the past month.”
“Failing to take all feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law,” HRW said.
