Scores Die in Migrant Detention Center Fire

Migrant detainees, mostly Ethiopians, were being held in a hanger at the Immigration, Passport and Naturalization Authority Holding Facility in Sanaa, Yemen. On March 7, 2021, they began a hunger strike to protest poor conditions and being held without charge. After a skirmish between guards and detainees, the guards rounded up many nearby migrants and locked them in the hanger. They left for several minutes and returned with well-armed Houthi security forces. One security force member climbed onto the roof of the hanger, which had open air areas, and launched two projectiles into the room. The first produced smoke, making the detainees’ eyes water and sting. The second exploded and started a fire. After roughly 10-15 minutes, people outside broke down the hanger’s door and walls and helped the surviving migrants get out. Scores of migrants died.