logo
Amnesty urges probe into US air strike on migrant detention centre in Yemen that left dozens dead

Amnesty urges probe into US air strike on migrant detention centre in Yemen that left dozens dead

Middle East Eye19-05-2025

Amnesty International (AI) on Monday urged a probe into a US air strike on a migrant detention centre in Saada, north-western Yemen, on 28 April that killed and injured dozens of migrants.
The air strike was one of many undertaken by the US since March that led to hundreds of people being killed and injured in what human rights groups are calling a violation of international humanitarian law.
'The US attacked a well-known detention facility where the Houthis have been detaining migrants who had no means to take shelter. The major loss of civilian life in this attack raises serious concerns about whether the US complied with its obligations under international humanitarian law, including the rules on distinction and precautions,' said Agnès Callamard, AI's secretary general.
AI spoke with two individuals who work with African migrant and refugee communities in Yemen, and who had visited two nearby hospitals and their morgues in the aftermath of the air strike, confirmed witnessing evidence of a high number of casualties.
The organisation also analysed satellite imagery and video footage of horrific scenes showing migrants' bodies strewn across rubble and rescuers trying to pull badly wounded survivors from the debris.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Presidents of UAE, Angola explore cooperation opportunities
Presidents of UAE, Angola explore cooperation opportunities

Al Etihad

time8 hours ago

  • Al Etihad

Presidents of UAE, Angola explore cooperation opportunities

8 June 2025 22:07 ABU DHABI (WAM) President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a phone call with His Excellency João Manuel Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola, during which they discussed cooperation between the UAE and Angola and explored ways to strengthen ties in support of development priorities and the shared goal of sustainable growth and Lourenço also extended Eid Al-Adha greetings to His Highness, wishing him continued health and two leaders discussed a number of issues of mutual interest and exchanged views on regional and global matters. They reaffirmed their shared commitment to advancing cooperation between the UAE and African nations, particularly in the fields of development and economic partnership, in ways that support stability, promote sustainable economic growth, and help realise the aspirations of their peoples. His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed reiterated the UAE's commitment to enhancing development cooperation with African countries, in line with its longstanding approach to building constructive and impactful partnerships that contribute to shared progress and prosperity.

Rwanda quits Central African bloc in dispute with Congo
Rwanda quits Central African bloc in dispute with Congo

Dubai Eye

time18 hours ago

  • Dubai Eye

Rwanda quits Central African bloc in dispute with Congo

Rwanda has said it would withdraw from the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), underscoring diplomatic tensions in the region over an offensive this year by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in eastern Congo. Kigali had expected to assume the chairmanship of the 11-member bloc at a meeting on Saturday in Equatorial Guinea. Instead, the bloc kept Equatorial Guinea in the role, which Rwanda's foreign ministry denounced as a violation of its rights. Rwanda, in a statement, condemned Congo's "instrumentalization" of the bloc and saw "no justification for remaining in an organization whose current functioning runs counter to its founding principles." It wasn't clear if Rwanda's exit from the bloc would take immediate effect. The office of Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi said in a statement that ECCAS members had "acknowledged the aggression against the Democratic Republic of Congo by Rwanda and ordered the aggressor country to withdraw its troops from Congolese soil." M23 seized eastern Congo's two largest cities earlier this year, with the advance leaving thousands dead and raising concerns of an all-out regional war. African leaders along with Washington and Doha have been trying to broker a peace deal. Congo, the UN and Western powers accuse Rwanda of supporting M23 by sending troops and weapons. Rwanda has long denied helping M23, saying its forces were acting in self-defence against Congo's army and ethnic Hutu militiamen linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide that killed around 1 million people, mostly ethnic Tutsis. US President Donald Trump's administration hopes to strike a peace accord between Congo and Rwanda that would also facilitate billions in Western investment in the region, which is rich in minerals including tantalum, gold, cobalt, copper and lithium. ECCAS was established in the 1980s to foster cooperation in areas like security and economic affairs among its member states.

Trade unions from 36 countries protest against Saudi Arabia's treatment of migrant workers
Trade unions from 36 countries protest against Saudi Arabia's treatment of migrant workers

Middle East Eye

time3 days ago

  • Middle East Eye

Trade unions from 36 countries protest against Saudi Arabia's treatment of migrant workers

Trade unions from 36 countries have filed a complaint with the International Labour Organization (ILO) over the treatment of migrant labourers in Saudi Arabia, The Guardian has reported. The joint submission called for a 'commission of inquiry' into labour rights in the kingdom - one of the most important tools available to the UN agency. 'This is a call for immediate action towards genuine, inclusive and collaborative reform,' said Luc Triangle, the secretary-general of the International Trade Union Confederation. 'We cannot tolerate another death of a migrant worker in Saudi Arabia. We cannot remain silent while migrant workers, especially construction and domestic workers, continue to face fundamental rights violations. This has to stop now.' The complaint comes as development and construction ramp up in Saudi Arabia ahead of its hosting the 2034 Fifa World Cup. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters This week, the kingdom signed a cooperation agreement with the ILO on the sidelines of its annual conference in Geneva. Under the agreement, which initially lasts for two years, Riyadh is expected to align its labour laws with international standards. The agreement reportedly includes measures to support fair recruitment, make it easier for labourers to switch jobs, introduce a minimum wage and include migrant workers on workers' representative committees. It also includes commitments to improve compensation for workers who are injured or killed. However, trade unionists from several delegations think the reforms did not go far enough. Unions from the UK, Japan, Canada, Australia and 13 African countries were among those to sign the complaint, which was fiercely opposed by the Saudis. 'Africans go to Saudi Arabia looking for life but come back in coffins,' said Omar Osman, the general secretary of the Federation of Somali Trade Unions and one of the signatories. The complaint, seen by The Guardian, lists several cases of alleged forced labour, human trafficking, wage theft, and sexual and physical abuse of migrant labourers. Migrant worker deaths Last month, a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) found that scores of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia had died in horrific, avoidable workplace incidents - including falls from buildings, electrocutions and decapitations. Saudi Arabia relies heavily on foreign labour to power its economy. Of a population of around 34 million, over 13 million are migrants, primarily from South and Southeast Asia and parts of Africa, according to the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. These workers dominate sectors such as construction, domestic work, sanitation and hospitality - often performing some of the most dangerous and low-paid jobs in the country. 'Electrocuted, decapitated': Migrant worker deaths in Saudi Arabia revealed in HRW report Read More » Despite existing Saudi laws mandating occupational safety measures and employer accountability, the HRW report revealed systemic failures in protecting workers, investigating deaths and ensuring compensation. The report also documented disturbing patterns of deaths being misclassified as 'natural causes', even in cases where the fatal injuries occurred on worksites. HRW interviewed the families of 31 deceased workers, mostly from Bangladesh, India and Nepal, who died in Saudi Arabia between the ages of 23 and 52. In several cases, families reported they were left in the dark about the cause and circumstances of their relatives' deaths. Employers often delayed or refused to repatriate remains and personal belongings and, in some cases, pressured families to accept burial in Saudi Arabia in exchange for modest financial compensation. In one case, the son of a Bangladeshi man who died of electrocution said the employer made compensation conditional on agreeing to bury his father in Saudi Arabia. The family refused and had to borrow over $4,000 to repatriate the body, only to receive less compensation than their incurred debt. Most migrant workers enter Saudi Arabia under the kafala sponsorship system, which legally binds a worker's immigration status to a specific employer. Despite recent reforms that allowed some workers to change jobs without employer consent, many are still vulnerable to exploitation, forced labour, wage theft and harsh working conditions. A New York Times report in March found that at least 274 Kenyan workers, most of whom were women, had died in Saudi Arabia over the past five years despite being a young workforce in non-dangerous jobs. Large numbers of Ugandan workers had also died in the Gulf kingdom during that time. Every year, thousands of Ugandan and Kenyan women travel to Saudi Arabia to take up domestic jobs such as housekeepers and nannies. Many return with stories of unpaid wages, detention, beatings, starvation and sexual assault. Others return in coffins. Among those who died, autopsies often revealed evidence of trauma such as burns and electric shocks. However, Saudi authorities recorded the deaths as natural causes.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store