Sanaa has experienced intense bombing following the Yemeni government's announcement of a military campaign to reclaim the capital from the Houthis. On Tuesday at midnight, air strikes struck the Yemeni capital, which had largely avoided bombing since a truce was established between the internationally recognized government and the Houthis in 2023. Rashid al-Alimi, head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, announced the launch of Operation Dawn of Yemen to retake Sanaa, held by the Houthis since September 2014.
Government ground forces are currently hundreds of miles from the capital, engaged in combat with the Houthis on Yemen’s west coast and around Taiz. Consequently, air strikes targeting Houthi positions in Sanaa have resulted in civilian casualties. An air strike on Monday in the Sa’wan area of Sanaa governorate killed a child and injured seven other civilians.
The Yemeni government has committed to continuing its attacks until it achieves its objectives, particularly the recapture of Sanaa. Despite varying political opinions among Yemenis in the capital, many residents express concern that their city, distanced from the front lines, may again become a war zone.
Memories of the Saudi-led coalition’s Operation Decisive Storm, initiated in March 2015, remain vivid, as it resulted in numerous civilian deaths in Sanaa due to air strikes. Since the commencement of the new offensive, dozens of strikes have targeted the capital, including an attack on Sanaa’s international airport that killed two workers, both aimed at Houthi sites.
Ghamadan Abood, a 30-year-old courier and Sanaa resident, noted that the recent attacks have increased fear among the populace. He stated, "When I learned about the new operation on Sunday, my feeling of security shrank. At any time and anywhere, air strikes may hit, and civilians could become the next casualties." On Monday, Abood was biking when air strikes struck Sa’wan, just two kilometers from his location.
With Houthi military facilities believed to be within the city, and the government occasionally targeting residential areas, the bombing underscores the vulnerability of civilians in Sanaa. Abood remarked, "The strikes could be aimed at missile launch pads, military equipment or facilities, but some of these facilities could be near neighborhoods, farms or roads. So, innocent people could be killed, injured or left terrified."
Saudi Arabia, which supports the Yemeni government, has also faced missile attacks from the Houthis, including two strikes on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the latest of which killed 12 people. On Tuesday, the Saudi-led coalition identified Sanaa, Saada, and Amran as primary sources of Houthi missile threats, stating that ongoing military operations aim to diminish the group’s missile-launching capabilities.
According to the International Organization for Migration, over 200,000 people have been displaced since fighting escalated in Yemen in recent weeks, with most displaced individuals originating from Taiz governorate, where intense ground fighting has occurred.
Saleh Ayidh, a 50-year-old Sanaa resident and father of five, expressed concern that the new air strikes may also displace people from the north. He stated, "Today, we see Sanaa as a safe place and distant from the front lines. For me, no place is safe in Yemen, particularly in the north, and war can spread anywhere." Ayidh’s family previously left Sanaa for the countryside during the initial Saudi-led coalition operation in 2015, and he noted, "Now we do not know what will happen to us. We will decide whether we need to leave the city if the air strikes keep intensifying."
The recent air strikes have led many in Sanaa to believe that war has returned to the capital, prompting residents to stock up on food and fuel. Grocery owner Nashwan, 24, has increased his inventory of essentials, anticipating potential shortages. He stated, "These commodities may become expensive in the coming days. If the war keeps escalating, buying them would cost me more."
Any road closures or declines in imports due to the conflict and a Saudi naval blockade on Houthi areas will pose significant challenges for civilians. Wafiq Saleh, executive director of the Taiz Centre for Yemeni-Gulf Studies, warned that rising food and fuel prices will exacerbate the humanitarian situation in Yemen.
Last week, the UN World Food Programme reported that three-quarters of families in certain areas of Yemen are experiencing hunger. There are concerns that escalating fighting will lead to a more severe food crisis across Yemen, which the WFP has described as "absolutely devastating."
Despite the Yemeni government's optimism regarding Operation Dawn of Yemen, few in Sanaa believe it can successfully reclaim the capital from the Houthis in the near future. Raiman al-Hamdani, a Yemen analyst based in London, stated that while government forces appear substantial on paper, they remain dispersed across multiple fronts and are equipped with outdated gear.
Fuad Ali, a 40-year-old university graduate in Sanaa, expressed skepticism regarding the government's capability to recapture the capital, citing recent military defeats. He remarked, "The government has failed to seize the coastal Hodeidah province or Al-Jawf desert province. The fight there could be easier given the topography. How can it recapture the mountainous Sanaa?" Ali also noted that while he doubts the operation will restore the government’s presence in Sanaa, he believes lessons have been learned from 2015, when significant civilian casualties drew international criticism. "I am still optimistic that Operation Dawn of Yemen will not damage Sanaa as Operation Decisive Storm did," he added.