Entesaf Organization: Saudi strikes on Hodeida, Kamaran deepen humanitarian crisis

The Entesaf Organization for Women’s and Children’s Rights has condemned the Saudi-led coalition’s aggression on the Port of Hodeida, Kamaran Island, and a number of civilian facilities.

In a statement, the organization said that attacks on civilian infrastructure and vital public facilities, and the resulting civilian casualties, further aggravate the suffering of the population—particularly women and children, who bear the greatest burden of the conflict—and undermine their access to essential services and livelihoods.

The statement noted that the Yemeni people have endured nearly 12 years of severe humanitarian hardship amid the ongoing blockade, accompanied by widespread economic and humanitarian deterioration, with serious repercussions for food security, the healthcare sector, livelihoods, and civilians’ access to basic necessities.

It added that any attack on ports or civilian infrastructure would further intensify these hardships, deepen the existing humanitarian crisis, and increase the burden on millions of civilians.

The organization emphasized that the Port of Hodeida serves as a vital civilian gateway for the entry of food, medicine, fuel, and humanitarian aid, warning that any attack on or disruption of its operations would hinder the delivery of essential supplies and directly worsen humanitarian conditions, particularly for the most vulnerable groups, including women and children.

The statement stressed that protecting civilians and civilian objects is an obligation under international humanitarian law, and that compliance with these rules is essential to mitigating the humanitarian consequences of the conflict and safeguarding civilians and civilian infrastructure.

The organization called on the United Nations, the UN Human Rights Council, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and all international humanitarian organizations to strengthen efforts to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.

It also urged the international community to fulfill its legal and humanitarian responsibilities toward the Yemeni people by taking concrete measures to alleviate civilian suffering and ensure their fundamental rights to food, healthcare, freedom of movement, and a dignified life, in accordance with international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

The organization further warned that continued attacks on civilian infrastructure, amid a humanitarian crisis that has persisted for nearly 12 years, would lead to further deterioration of humanitarian conditions and exacerbate the suffering of millions of Yemenis affected by years of aggression, calling for urgent and effective international action to protect civilians and ensure respect for international law.