US and British Strikes Killed 16 Civilians in Yemen on May 30

US and British missile strikes on Yemen that were launched on May 30 killed 16 civilians and wounded 35 more, according to the Yemen Data Project (YDP).

Fourteen civilians were killed in strikes on a coast guard site at a port in the Red Sea province of Hodeidah, and two were killed in a bombing of a radio broadcast building that was also in Hodeidah.

At the time, the US and the UK shared little detail about the strikes, only claiming to have hit Houthi targets. The YDP said it was unclear which military was responsible for the strikes that killed civilians.

The US and British bombing campaign on Yemen started in January and has failed to deter the Houthis, as the Yemeni group continues to attack commercial shipping in response to the Israeli onslaught in Gaza. Two ships were reported to be struck by missiles off the coast of Yemen on Saturday.

According to the YDP, the US and the UK have launched a total of 171 strikes and dropped 393 munitions on Yemen in the first 141 days of the bombing campaign. The US and Britain have launched several rounds of airstrikes together, but most bombings have been unilateral US strikes.

The heaviest bombings took place in the first few months of the campaign, and the rate of strikes began to decline in March. The month of May saw a slightly higher number of strikes than April.

The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, have been clear that the only way they’ll stop attacking commercial shipping is if there’s a ceasefire in Gaza and the Israeli siege on the enclave is lifted.

The US backed a brutal Saudi/UAE war against the Houthis from 2015-2022 that involved heavy airstrikes and a blockade, and the Houthis only became more of a capable fighting force during that time.

The war killed at least 377,000 people, with more than half dying of starvation and disease caused by the siege. A ceasefire between the Houthis and Saudis has held relatively well since April 2022, but new US sanctions are now blocking the implementation of a lasting peace deal.