Over 50,000 civilians fall victim to decade of civil war in Yemen: Houthis group

The Yemeni civil war had left more than 50,000 civilians dead or injured in the past 10 years, causing severe humanitarian crisis in the country, according to the latest data released by the Houthi group on Wednesday.

In 2014, a conflict broke out between the Yemeni government and the Houthi group, and the latter took over the Yemeni capital of Sanaa in September. In March 2015, a number of Arab states launched the a joint operation coded "Decisive Storm" against Houthis. Since then, the country has fallen into a state of war.

The data showed that the war has killed 15,885 people and injured 34,594 others in the war.

Meanwhile, 165 medical facilities were destroyed, and 376 others were partially damaged in the war, with over 55 percent of medical institutions shut down, one pharmaceutical factory and two oxygen plants destroyed, and 100 ambulances scrapped.

"The war has had a huge impact on every aspect of life in Yemen, especially the medical field. The shortage of fuel supply has exacerbated the hardship in medical services. Due to the difficulty in operating the Sanaa International Airport, drug imports are obstructed, and many patients in urgent need of treatment are unable to go abroad for medical treatment," said Anis al-Asbahi, spokesman of the Houthi-run Ministry of Health and Environment.

The war has also left many children malnourished and stunted, and many pregnant women suffering health problems in Yemen, while some diseases that had disappeared have resurged in the country. Meanwhile, the shortage of medicine and the large-scale loss of medical staff have further exacerbated the medical crisis.

After the Houthis' takeover of Sanaa, Yemen presents a stark picture of north-south division. The Houthis control most of the northern areas, including Sanaa and the strategic Red Sea port of Hodeidah. The internationally recognized Yemeni government, led by the Presidential Leadership Council since April 2022, mainly controls the southern and eastern regions, with Aden serving as the temporary capital.

Over 50,000 civilians fall victim to decade of civil war in Yemen: Houthis group

Over 50,000 civilians fall victim to decade of civil war in Yemen: Houthis group

Over 50,000 civilians fall victim to decade of civil war in Yemen: Houthis group

Over 50,000 civilians fall victim to decade of civil war in Yemen: Houthis group

At least four people were killed, and ten others injured after Israel attacked a hotel in the Lebanese capital Beirut early on Sunday, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health said.

Israeli forces launched a drone attack at dawn, targeting a room at the Ramada hotel in the heart of the city. Following the strike, Israel said that the targets were key commanders of the Lebanon Corps of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force.

The drone attack was the first Israeli attack on central Beirut since hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah resumed, according to media reports.

The Ramada Hotel is located in Beirut's Raouche area, a popular tourist district near the landmark Pigeon Rocks along the Mediterranean coast.

All the windows in the targeted hotel room were shattered, and several adjacent rooms and the exterior facade of the hotel building were also damaged by the airstrike, according to a China Media Group reporter at the scene.

Witnesses said the area had been considered safe, and many displaced people fleeing southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut had taken refuge here, with some staying in hotels and others sleeping in their cars along nearby roads.

"At night, it was quiet until 1:35; there were no sounds of drones or anything at all. Suddenly, we heard something like a shell—very loud. We thought it was a warplane bombing in the area. We ran and saw smoke coming from the hotel, and glass was scattered in the streets. There was black smoke and dust. We ran to the Ramada hotel on the fourth floor, where flames were coming out. People began to exit, ambulances and information branch personnel arrived, and crowds formed," said Shawki Sharifi, an eyewitness.

Another eyewitness said the area was blocked after the attack, and the injured were taken to hospitals for treatment. Authorities said that there were fatalities at the scene.

On Sunday evening, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a statement, saying that the Israeli Navy carried out a precision strike on Beirut, targeting five senior commanders of Iran's IRGC Quds Force who were meeting at a hotel in the city.

The IDF said that the five commanders, "hiding in a civilian hotel," were all killed in the operation. The commanders had served in the Lebanese and Palestinian branches of IRGC and were involved in providing funding and intelligence to Hezbollah and Hamas, the IDF said in the statement.

The Lebanese authorities have not provided more details about the victims or the incident.

At least 4 killed, 10 injured in Israeli strike on hotel in Beirut