Sana’a – SABA – Yahya Jarallah
In a horrific and fully-fledged war crime, the brutal American aggression deliberately targeted the Al-Rasool Al-Azam Cancer Hospital in Sa'ada, which was in its final construction phase and was set to become a vital medical facility and a treatment center for cancer patients in Sa'ada and neighboring governorates.
This humanitarian project represented a beacon of hope for cancer patients, sparing them the hardship of traveling to Sana’a for treatment. It was also intended to ease the burden on cancer treatment centers in the capital and other governorates. However, in an act of sheer malice and inhumanity, the U.S. aggression deliberately destroyed this hope, exposing America’s true face—a nation that falsely claims to champion human rights while committing some of the most heinous crimes against innocent people.
13 Airstrikes on a Cancer Hospital
According to a statement from the Cancer Control Fund, the U.S. aggression targeted the hospital building with 13 airstrikes, causing massive destruction to key parts of the facility and catastrophic damage to its essential services. This premeditated attack was aimed at depriving hundreds of patients of vital treatment, at a time when Yemen’s healthcare system is already in a dire state due to years of relentless aggression and systematic targeting of medical infrastructure.
The statement emphasized that this crime is not an isolated incident but part of a systematic American policy that has targeted the Yemeni people for years through bombings and a suffocating blockade, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis and spreading deadly diseases, including cancer, which has surged due to the use of internationally banned weapons since 2015.
The U.S.: The Real Terrorist State
While the United States falsely claims to be fighting terrorism, it is the primary perpetrator of terror, spreading death and destruction with its banned weapons. The long-term exposure of Yemenis to radioactive and toxic materials from U.S. airstrikes has led to a sharp rise in cancer cases. Now, after depriving Yemenis of life’s most basic necessities, the U.S. is trying to shut the last door of hope for cancer patients by targeting the only hospital that could provide them with treatment.
Blatant Lies to Justify a War Crime
Adding to the American disgrace are the blatant lies and fabricated justifications used to cover up this atrocious crime. Former U.S. President Donald Trump falsely claimed that the strikes targeted "bases threatening maritime navigation." However, the undeniable reality is that the attacks struck civilian sites and a medical facility dedicated to cancer patients, in a flagrant violation of international law and humanitarian treaties.
With this crime, the new U.S. administration reaffirms its criminal policy of blurring the line between victim and aggressor, persistently working to exterminate civilians, as evidenced by its crimes in Yemen and Palestine.
A War Crime Under International Law
Under international humanitarian law and the International Court of Justice, the targeting of this hospital constitutes a full-fledged war crime under Article 8(2)(b) and 8(2)(b)1, which classify attacks on civilians and civilian objects as serious violations of international law. Additionally, Article 8(2)(b)2 explicitly criminalizes the deliberate targeting of medical facilities, making this crime subject to immediate international prosecution.
A Call to Action Against Genocide
Following this atrocity, the Cancer Control Fund called on the international community, human rights organizations, Islamic nations, and all free people of the world to take a firm stance against this barbaric aggression and to urgently intervene to stop these ongoing crimes, which mirror the genocide committed by the U.S. and Israel in the region.
The fund emphasized that this aggression clearly demonstrates that the United States is executing an agenda aligned with Zionist interests, as these crimes coincide with the brutal escalation against Gaza and the ongoing massacres of civilians in the occupied territories. The silence of the international community and human rights organizations in the face of this horrific crime amounts to direct complicity with the American aggression. Failure to take immediate action makes these entities partners in the crimes against the Yemeni people.
Urgent Appeal to the United Nations and Global Organizations
In its statement, the fund called on the United Nations, the World Health Organization, human rights organizations, Islamic nations, and global advocates of justice to take a decisive stance against this blatant aggression and to pressure the United States to halt its repeated crimes against civilians and patients in Yemen.
Despite this unjust aggression, the fund reaffirmed its commitment to continuing its humanitarian mission to provide care and treatment for cancer patients, regardless of the immense challenges and ongoing attacks. At the same time, it stressed that these crimes will never be forgotten, and those responsible will be held accountable sooner or later.
A Vital Project Destroyed
The Al-Rasool Al-Azam Cancer Hospital was one of the most crucial humanitarian projects designed to alleviate the suffering of cancer patients in Saada and surrounding areas. It would have spared patients the hardship of traveling to Sana’a for treatment, providing life-saving medical care closer to home.
The project, which was being constructed by the Public Authority for Roads and Bridges within Al-Hussein Medical City in Saada, had a budget of $7.567 million (equivalent to 1.011 billion Yemeni riyals) funded by the Cancer Control Fund. Spanning 4,803.9 square meters, the hospital was designed with five interconnected blocks, consisting of a basement and three floors, reaching a height of 13 meters.
The deliberate destruction of this vital hospital is yet another clear indication of the U.S.'s war on Yemen’s right to life, revealing its unwavering commitment to genocide and systematic oppression.
E.M
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