Yemen's Houthis Hold Mass Funeral for Airstrike Victims

A mass funeral procession was held in Sanaa, Yemen, for at least 43 people allegedly killed in a Saudi-led coalition airstrike on Saturday. The victims, including 21 children and 10 women, were killed in a strike on six homes in Al-Shariya, a village east of Sanaa, according to Saba news agency. Footage on Masirah TV showed large crowds gathered at a graveyard, with men carrying rifles digging graves. The attack involved three consecutive raids that also hit ambulance crews and rescue workers.

The airstrike is part of the ongoing conflict between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition, which reignited in July after a 2022 UN-brokered ceasefire. The conflict has led to a severe humanitarian crisis in Yemen, with the World Health Organization reporting 2,025 people killed or wounded between October 31 and November 8. The UN Security Council has renewed its Yemen sanctions regime for another year, extending targeted asset freezes and travel bans until November 2027.

The Houthi-run Health Ministry reported that at least 359 civilians had been killed and 780 wounded in the latest Saudi escalation. The ministry said most were women and children. The Houthi armed forces claimed that Saudi Arabia had carried out 93 airstrikes and missile attacks over 24 hours, targeting civilian and energy infrastructure.

The conflict has also seen the Houthis target Saudi infrastructure, including the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and oil facilities. In October, back-to-back attacks on the airport killed at least 20 people and wounded hundreds of others. The Saudi-led coalition has intercepted several drones over Mecca and Riyadh.

Yemen's Houthi-controlled parliament has appealed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres to intervene amid the intensifying fighting. The parliament claimed that hundreds of Saudi airstrikes over five days had killed or wounded over 300 people, most of them children, women, and elderly people.

The UN Security Council has strongly condemned the Houthis' military offensive as well as their missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia and Red Sea shipping. The council has also expanded a UN monitoring panel to include maritime security experts and affirmed that arbitrarily detaining UN and humanitarian workers is grounds for sanctions.

The conflict in Yemen continues to escalate, with both sides suffering heavy casualties. The international community has called for an end to the violence and a return to peace talks. The situation remains dire, with civilians bearing the brunt of the fighting.

Key points

• The airstrike killed at least 43 people, including 21 children and 10 women.
• The conflict has led to a severe humanitarian crisis in Yemen, with 2,025 people killed or wounded between October 31 and November 8.
• The UN Security Council has renewed its Yemen sanctions regime for another year, extending targeted asset freezes and travel bans until November 2027.