Flash quote: Hundreds injured in an air strike on prison in Sa'ada, Yemen

Yemen

Saudi-led coalition bombings of Yemen have escalated in recent days after the Houthis targeted an oil facility and the airport in Abu Dhabi with drones and rockets on January 17, killing three people.

Last night, an airstrike hit a prison in Sa’ada, northern Yemen and left hundreds of people wounded. This comes after another airstrike hit a telecommunication building in Hodeidah, last night, resulting in the internet being cut off in Yemen, making communications difficult with our Doctors Without Borders (MSF) team.

We wanted to share the following flash quote from Ahmed Mahat, MSF Head of Mission in Yemen.

Last night at around 02h30, the Sa'ada City Remand Prison was hit by what was reported to be an airstrike from the Saudi-led Coalition. Al-Gumhourriyeh Hospital in the city has received around 200 wounded and they say that they are so overwhelmed that they cannot take any more patients.

At MSF, we have donated medical supplies to the hospital, but we know it is not enough to deal with all the casualties. We are looking to urgently send more supplies and organise referrals, including possibly to one of our hospitals.

From what I hear from my colleague in Sa’ada there are many bodies still at the scene of the airstrike, many missing people. It is impossible to know how many people have been killed. It seems to have been a horrific act of violence.

There were also airstrikes in Sana’a last night, including at the airport, and we have received reports of airstrikes in many other governorates across the north of Yemen. Since this morning, the internet has been completely cut off.