15 hours ago
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Sanaa, Yemen – On the evening of March 15, Ammar Mohammed* strolled through the vibrant streets of a modern residential neighbourhood in northern Sanaa.
The tall, slim man was nattily dressed and expecting a delicious meal at a relative’s home.
The pleasant spring air, cooled after sunset, carried the rich aromas of home-cooked dishes as families prepared to break their fast on the last day of Ramadan.
The two-storey house of his wife’s relatives, the al-Zeinis*, was lit up, as with the other tightly packed homes on that street.
Even from a distance, he could see rows of windows glowing warmly and felt the hum of life radiating from behind closed doors he walked past, as people chatted, children squealed, and cutlery clattered.
He was looking forward to iftar and to his wife joining him later at her relatives’ home for a post-iftar gathering.
The street was bustling – mosque speakers echoed Quranic recitations, children chased each other barefoot over the asphalt, and the clatter of bustling kitchens spilled from open doorways.
He was a stone’s throw away when the evening was split apart.
Shops in Aden – prepared before the beginning of Ramadan, a festive time in Yemen with families coming together for meals throughout the month, on February 25, 2025 [Fawaz Salman/Reuters]A deafening roar shattered the calm, a blinding orange flash turning everything into a terrifying artificial dawn.
The ground convulsed beneath him, and he was hurled backwards, ears ringing as a shockwave of dust and debris swept over him, stinging his skin. For a moment, he could not breathe.
When he lifted his head, the al-Zeini home was gone.
“Just like that, the house had collapsed into a smouldering heap of rubble and twisted metal,” the 30-year-old civil servant said.
“All 12 al-Zeinis – mostly women and kids – who were inside on a peaceful Ramadan evening, were killed,” he said in pain.
The al-Zeini family had been killed in a raid ordered by United States President Donald Trump.
Trump claimed he wanted to target Houthi fighters and military installations, to force them to stop attacking Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea – which the Houthis say they are doing in response to Israel’s ongoing blockade of the Gaza Strip.
The US raids continued, and have killed at least 53 people, while nearly 100 others were wounded.
A neighbourhood shattered
Mohammed, palms bleeding from the force with which he was hurled onto the asphalt, raced to the house to see if there were any survivors.
The house had been demolished, along with the one right next to it.
He joined a crowd of neighbours pulling away bricks and iron rebar in search of people, to ultimately realise no one was alive.
“I was swept away by emotions and thoughts, just like my surroundings. I was confused, scared, grateful, alarmed, happy to have survived, and devastated by what happened to this family.
“This was a family breaking their fast together, not a military base. Americans make no distinction between a rebel and a child,” he told Al Jazeera.
He could not say anything further about his slain relatives, only saying he dreaded what would come next.
He vividly recalled how the joyful sounds of children playing were suddenly replaced by piercing screams as panicked parents rushed into the streets, desperately searching for their little ones.
A man squats in the middle of an area struck by the US in Sanaa on March 20, 2025 [Mohammed Huwais/AFP]‘They were there just a minute ago’
Like Khawla*, who was a few houses down from the al-Zeinis, setting the table and keeping an eye on her two sons, eight-year-old Usama and six-year-old Mustafa, playing outside.
They were awaiting their father’s return before the family could sit down to break their fast.
With the ground shaking and the explosive sound of the raid, the alarmed 30-year-old mother rushed outside in panic, looking for any trace of her little ones.
“My children were there moments ago, and suddenly I couldn’t see them,” she said.
“I staggered through the wreckage strewn across the street, the air was still full of dust. I was terrified.
“I screamed out their names … nothing,” she said, her voice cracking as she recalled that night.
“A neighbour spotted two small bodies flung several metres away by the blast’s force,” Khawla, who asked to be referred to by her first name only, said.
Children especially love the family-oriented, festive atmosphere of Ramadan [File: Khaled Abdullah/Reuters]The neighbour scooped them into his arms and carried them into Khawla’s home, afraid that another attack might follow, and feeling it would be safer to be indoors.
“I chased after him, sobbing and trying to understand how badly my boys were hurt. They were too shocked to respond, but once inside, I frantically examined every inch of their bodies.”
Luckily, the boys’ injuries were limited to bruises and cuts all over their bodies, and she was able to tend to them herself.
“These are cuts that are curable, but there are scars too deep and much more difficult to fix. My kids haven’t been themselves since.”
The boys keep asking if more bombs will fall on the neighbourhood, she added.
“I hug them, avoid answering the question … but I can’t get over the sight of the household whose children didn’t make it.”
* Names changed for the individuals’ safety
This article was published in collaboration with Egab.
