A/HRC/42/17 drone strikes, using controversial targeting methods, re-introduced in 2017, that rely on patterns of behaviour for target selection. In March 2019, the President of the United States suspended an order that required the United States military and other government agencies to publish certain civilian casualty data, including those relating to the strikes. 21. In its humanitarian response plan for 2019, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated that 24.1 million people (almost 80 per cent of the population) were in need of assistance to survive. On 29 March 2019, the World Food Programme declared Yemen “the world’s largest food crisis”, referred to by many organizations as “entirely man-made”. On 17 June 2019, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator publicly confirmed findings of pockets of famine-like conditions in dozens of places across Yemen. 22. The humanitarian crisis continued to have a disproportionate impact on women and children. While social and economic vulnerabilities predate the conflict, the conflict has contributed to the deterioration of the economic situation. It continued to have a significant impact on vulnerable groups that make up a large part of the complex social strata of Yemen, including social minorities such as the Muhamasheen,5 persons with disabilities, the elderly, and religious minorities. The destruction and damage the conflict has caused to the already limited infrastructure and access to basic services, such as medical care, education and justice, have significantly affected the resilience of vulnerable communities. Large waves of displacement have also pushed many to seek new coping mechanisms, exacerbating their vulnerabilities and increasing exposure to human rights violations. V. Violations of international law A. Violations related to the conduct of hostilities 23. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights documented at least 7,292 civilians killed (including at least 1,959 children and 880 women) and 11,630 civilians injured (including 2,575 children and 1,256 women ) in Yemen as a direct result of the armed conflict between March 2015 (when it began such tracking) and June 2019. Given, however, the restrictions imposed by the parties and other factors enumerated in the present report limiting humanitarian and human rights work in Yemen, the actual figures are probably much higher. Civilian casualties between September 2014 and March 2015 are not included in these figures. 1. Attacks affecting civilians (a) Coalition airstrikes 24. In the first year of its mandate, the Group of Experts analysed a number of emblematic coalition airstrikes in the context of the broader patterns exhibited by the strikes. In the incidents investigated, it found concerns with coalition processes and procedures for target selection and execution of airstrikes based upon the apparently disproportionate impact on civilians. The Group further investigated emblematic airstrikes carried out over the past year. Despite reported reductions in the overall number of airstrikes and resulting civilian casualties, the patterns of harm caused by airstrikes remained consistent and significant. 25. The Group of Experts investigated the coalition airstrike carried out in Sa’dah Governorate, on 9 August 2018, on a bus carrying approximately 50 children. It was able to verify that the strike killed at least 11 children aged between 10 and 15 years, and injured at least 12. According to other reports, including by the United Nations, the total number of casualties exceeded 40 civilians killed and 60 injured, including shopkeepers and patrons in the market area where the bus was struck. The Group noted that, while the coalition Joint 5 Translated as “the marginalized”, the term designates a community subjected to social caste-based discrimination. Though Yemeni law does not discriminate against the Muhamasheen, they are commonly referred to pejoratively as Al-Akhdam, meaning servants. 5