School Bus Attack in Yemen

On 9 August 2018, Saudi Arabian expeditionary aircraft bombed a civilian school bus passing through a crowded market in Dahyan, Saada Governorate, Yemen, near the border with Saudi Arabia. At least 29 children were killed, all under 15 years old and most of whom were under the age of 10. As many as 51 people may have been killed in the attack.

The Attack

According to Save the Children, the children were on a bus heading back to school from a picnic at the time of the attack when the driver stopped to get a drink at the market in Dahyan. Many of the children were wearing blue UNICEF-titled backpacks given to them as a form of humanitarian relief. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, "most of the children were under the age of 10." The attack also resulted in multiple first responders being killed as well.

Media Coverage

The attack initially came to light after videos from the site depicting the remains of the bus and the children were posted on Twitter. The Saudi Arabian coalition later issued a statement saying they conducted an airstrike in Saada, but were targeting Houthi missile launchers.

Reactions to the Attack

Domestic

The official Saudi Arabian press agency called the strike a "legitimate military action" that targeted elements responsible for a rebel missile attack on the Saudi Arabian city of Jizan on Wednesday.  "[The airstrikes] conformed to international and humanitarian laws," the statement said. The agency also claimed that Houthis were using children as human shields.

Yemeni journalist Nasser Arrabyee reported that there were no Houthis in the vicinity of the strike. A Houthi spokesperson said the coalition showed "clear disregard for civilian life" as the attack had targeted a crowded public place in the city.

International

The Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres condemned the attack and called for an independent and prompt investigation. UNICEF strongly condemned the attack, saying "We are horrified by a reported attack on a school bus in Yemen. Many innocent children maimed and killed, some wearing UNICEF backpacks." and "Children should never be a target" UNICEF director Henrietta H. Fore also stated on Twitter, "Attacks on children are absolutely unacceptable. I'm horrified by the reported airstrike on innocent children, some with UNICEF backpacks. Enough is enough."

The US Department of State stated that the US is "certainly concerned about the reports that there was an attack that resulted in the deaths of civilians" and called for Saudi Arabia to conduct an investigation into the strike.

The United Kingdom's Foreign and Commonwealth Office expressed "deep concern", called for a transparent investigation and called upon all parties to prevent civilian casualties and to co-operate with UN to reach a lasting political solution in Yemen.

Non-governmental organizations

The International Committee of the Red Cross, the head of delegation in Yemen, tweeted "Following an attack [the] morning [of 9 August] on a bus driving children in Dahyan Market, northern Sa’ada, @ICRC_Yemen-supported hospital has received dozens of dead and wounded. Under international humanitarian law, civilians must be protected during conflict.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dahyan_air_strike