Powerful airstrikes rocked Yemen’s Houthi-held capital Sanaa on Monday, reigniting fears of civilian casualties and escalating a conflict that has left the city reeling.
When I learned about the new operation on Sunday, my feeling of security shrank,
said Ghamadan Abood, a 30-year-old courier who noted the recent attacks shattered his sense of safety.
Airstrikes Hit Capital As Residents Fear Violence
Abood recounted traveling by bike when Monday’s attacks hit Sa’wan, just two kilometers from his route.
The Yemeni military, via spokesman Yahya Saree, claimed 119 airstrikes and missile attacks on Sanaa and other regions in the past 24 hours, citing civilian casualties. The Saudi attacks targeted civilian areas in the capital as well as the provinces of Al-Jawf, Taiz, Saada, Marib, Lahj, Al-Bayda, and Ibb,
Saree stated, blaming the Saudi-led coalition for the violence. He added that the airstrikes were conducted by F-15 and Typhoon fighter jets taking off from Khamis Mushait and Taif airbases, while missile attacks were launched from the Najran and Jizan regions. The cumulative count of Saudi airstrikes and missile attacks within the nation has risen to 2,177 following the escalation of the conflict.
Humanitarian Warnings and Economic Strain
Grocery owner Nashwan, 24, has boosted inventory of essentials like rice, cheese, and cooking oil, anticipating rising prices. Wafiq Saleh of the Taiz Centre for Yemeni-Gulf Studies warned that food and fuel shortages could worsen the humanitarian crisis, citing the UN World Food Programme’s warning that three-quarters of families in parts of Yemen are going hungry.
Saleh said.
Conflict Origins and Regional Tensions
The violence traces back to the Houthi movement’s 2014 seizure of Sanaa, which prompted a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in 2015. A 2022 truce largely halted major fighting, but the current offensive, launched by the internationally recognized Yemeni government, has reignited hostilities. The Houthis, who control Sanaa, have retaliated with missile strikes on Saudi airports, including one near Riyadh that killed 12 people on Saturday.
The coalition led by Saudi Arabia reported late Monday that it neutralized two ballistic missiles fired by the Houthi group aimed at the southwestern Saudi city of Khamis Mushait. The Houthi faction claimed it conducted a new ballistic missile attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, while the Saudi-led coalition stated that its forces intercepted and neutralized a Houthi ballistic missile directed at Riyadh. A Houthi attack on Riyadh’s airport on Saturday resulted in 12 fatalities and 309 injuries, as reported by Saudi officials.
Uncertain Future for Sanaa
Now we do not know what will happen to us.
We will decide whether we need to leave the city if the air strikes keep intensifying,
he said. The prospect of prolonged conflict has left many fearing a return to the chaos of 2015, when hundreds of civilians were killed in air strikes during the Saudi-led Operation Decisive Storm.
I am still optimistic that Operation Dawn of Yemen will not damage Sanaa as Operation Decisive Storm did,
Ali said, though others warn of increased civilian casualties and destruction.