The National Museum of Yemen was damaged during Israeli airstrikes on Sanaa on Wednesday, according to the Houthi Ministry of Culture. The bombardment, part of escalating regional tensions linked to the Gaza war, killed 45 people and injured 165. Video footage shows the museum courtyard littered with rubble, and its windows and doors destroyed, though the building remains standing. The museum had only reopened in May 2023 after a decade-long closure due to Yemen's civil war.
The damage to the museum threatens millennia-old artifacts housed in one of the region's largest cultural institutions. The nearby Old City of Sanaa, a UNESCO World Heritage site, escaped damage, but the incident highlights the vulnerability of Yemen's cultural heritage amid ongoing conflict. The Houthi culture ministry has called on UNESCO to condemn the strike and protect cultural property, though UNESCO has no presence in Sanaa and cannot verify the damage. The attack underscores how war endangers both human life and irreplaceable cultural treasures.