On 17 April the U.S. military carried out a targeted airstrike on the Houthi-controlled fuel port of Ras Isa in Yemen.
The strike reportedly destroyed several oil storage tanks, damaged a jetty and wrecked numerous tanker trucks. According to the Houthi, the attack resulted in 70 to 80 deaths and around 150 to 170 injuries, affecting port workers, truck drivers, and emergency responders.
Ras Isa is a key fuel terminal used by the Houthis to supply areas under their control. However, it also plays an important role in Yemen’s humanitarian supply chain with around 70% of the country’s imports and 80% of aid passing through Ras Isa, Hodeidah, and As-Salif ports.
Human rights groups and the United Nations have criticized the strike, warning of the humanitarian consequences given the port’s importance to aid and civilian supplies.
