11 December 2018: As UN-led peace talks proceed in Stockholm and a landmark bill to end US support for the Saudi-backed coalition works its way through Congress, the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) now estimates that over 60,000 people have been killed in the Yemen War since just 2016.
According to data collected and analyzed by ACLED, reported fatalities since the beginning of 2016 are more than six times higher than the frequently cited UN figure of 10,000.
ACLED’s estimate only includes deaths directly caused by violence. Complementary estimates produced by organizations like Save the Children indicate that tens of thousands more may have died from other causes linked to the conflict, such as starvation and disease.
Commenting, ACLED Executive Director Clionadh Raleigh said: “ACLED’s estimation of Yemen’s direct conflict deaths is far higher than official estimates – and still underestimated. Fatality numbers are only one approximation of the abject tragedy and terror forced upon Yemenis from several sides. This cannot be overstated.”
Total conflict fatalities:
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- ACLED has recorded 60,223 conflict-related fatalities from January 2016 through November 2018
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- 28,182 were recorded in the first 11 months of 2018, marking a 68% increase compared to 2017
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- November 2018 has been the most violent month since ACLED started tracking violence in Yemen, with 3,058 reported fatalities
Civilian fatalities:
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- Between January 2016 and November 2018, ACLED recorded 2,769 attacks targeting civilians1 causing 6,480 civilian fatalities, 2,189 of which occurred in just 20182
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- The Saudi-led coalition is linked to the highest number of civilian fatalities in Yemen, with 4,614 fatalities recorded since 2016, including 1,326 in 2018
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- The Houthis and their allies were responsible for at least 1,027 civilian fatalities, including 494 in 2018
The situation in Hodeidah:
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- 37% of the total civilians killed in Yemen in 2018 have died in Hodeidah
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- Amid the coalition-backed offensive to retake the port city, Hodeidah has witnessed the greatest escalation of violence in 2018, with an 820% increase in total conflict-related fatalities
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- As noted by Save the Children, civilian fatalities increased by 160% after the offensive began in June
A US-based 501c3 established in 2014, ACLED is the highest quality, most widely used, realtime data and analysis source on political violence and protest around the world.
For an explanation of ACLED’s methodology for collecting data on the Yemen conflict, click here.
For interview requests and press inquiries, please contact:
Sam Jones, Communications Officer
[email protected]
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Download a PDF of this press release here.
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1This figure has been adjusted to reflect updated data.
2This figure includes only civilians killed as a result of direct civilian targeting. It does not include collateral civilian fatalities. As such, the number is assumed to represent an underestimate of the total conflict-related civilian fatalities in Yemen.
