Report links UK support to hundreds of civilian deaths in Yemen airstrikes
A joint Mwatana and Cost of War study documents 576 casualties, including 213 deaths, from US airstrikes in Yemen that were backed by the UK, and calls for accountability.
Mwatana for Human Rights and the Cost of War Project released a study covering US air operations in Yemen from December 2023 to May 2025, recording 576 casualties—213 fatalities—among civilians. The investigation includes 59 interviews with victims, relatives and first responders, highlighting the April 2025 strike on the Ras Isa fuel depot that killed at least 80 people. The report links UK participation, citing the deployment of British fighter jets in Operation Prosperity Guardian and a UK air-refuel mission during Operation Rough Rider, as well as the country's long-standing arms support to the Saudi-UAE coalition.
Researchers argue the findings demonstrate why Britain should not enable further attacks, especially as the Houthis have recently seized Mocha and threaten Red Sea shipping. Mwatana urges the United States to accept legal and moral responsibility and to establish a reparations programme for the affected civilians.
Why it matters
It exposes Britain's role in Yemen's civilian toll and pressures both the UK and US to address war crimes and reparations.
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