Yemen Data Project Week 5 Ceasefire Update

Drone Strikes Claimed, No Air Raids Recorded In Week Five of Ceasefire

The agreed halt in military operations in Yemen moved into it's second month in May. The fifth week, from May 1st to 8th, continued the extended halt in the air war with no air raids recorded in week 5. There were however two incidents - one on April 30, in week 4 and one on May 1, in week 5 of the ceasefire - that some pro-Houthi open sources initially reported as air raids in Hajja and Al-Hudaydah governorates. Both incidents were later asserted by pro-Houthi open sources as being drone strikes.

Yemen Data Project does not record drone strikes by either the Saudi-led coalition, or pro-Houthi forces, primarily because of unreliable open sourcing on drone strikes. Artillery, ballistic missiles and other projectiles are also often reported in open sourcing as drone strikes. In the above incidents there was no corroboration on airstrikes and therefore, as per YDP's methodology, no air raids were recorded. The data always presents our best current understanding of incidents and are reported in good faith.

Separate to our air raids data collection, as part of our work to enhance conflict monitoring and data sharing, YDP is collaborating with the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project on countrywide political violence data. This extensive monitoring effort has allowed ACLED and YDP to provide the most comprehensive coverage of political violence across Yemen.

In April, ACLED reported persistent levels of violence in the ground war in the first two weeks of the ceasefire, most notably in A-Hudaydah, Marib and Taiz governorates. Political violence reportedly decreased in week three. ACLED reported that the third week without Saudi-led coalition air raids was also the fourth consecutive week without Houthi drone or missile attacks on Saudi Arabia.

In the week of April 16-22, pro-Houthi forces reportedly launched an offensive on the southern front of Marib governorate, while clashes were also reported on the western front in Sirwah district.

ACLED's methodology on casualty counting differs from Yemen Data Project's air raids data. See here for more details on ACLED's methodology and coding decisions used in their data collection.