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Aerial bombing and the internal wars in Yemen have killed at least 364 civilians including 84 children and 25 women since March 26 in addition to hundreds of fighters, the UN human rights chief reported today.
More than 681 civilians have been injured and dozens of public buildings, including hospitals, schools, airports and mosques have been destroyed in airstrikes, through shelling and other attacks.
“The humanitarian situation is appallingly bad, compounded by wanton violence, lawlessness and serious human rights violations,” UN human rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein reported.
“Most of the country is now suffering from the effects of armed conflict, with the situation particularly devastating in Sana’a, Aden, Dhale, Sa’da, Hudayda, Lahj, Ibb, Taiz, Amran and Hajjah.”
Reports received by the human rights office say children are being recruited as fighters in Aden, Dhale and Mareb. Street fighting is worsening in densely populated areas, particularly in Aden between armed groups affiliated with President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi on one side, and Houthis and former President Ali Abdullah Saleh on the other.
Zeid called on all warring factions to scrupulously respect international human rights and international humanitarian law. They should also ensure that attacks resulting in civilian casualties are promptly investigated.
“Hospitals and ambulances must be safe from attacks and allowed to function at all times. Intentional attacks on hospitals or ambulances being exclusively used for medical purposes would amount to war crimes,” Zeid said.
Intentional targeting of civilians not taking direct part in hostilities would also amount to a war crime, including the killing of civilians by snipers located on rooftops in Dhale.
“Every hour we are receiving and documenting deeply disturbing and distressing reports of the toll that this conflict is taking on civilian lives and infrastructure,” he said.
“The people of Yemen have already suffered for too long and the calamitous effects of the conflict are going to take years, if not decades, to reverse.”
Several airstrikes by Saudi-led coalition forces have hit residential areas and civilian homes in Amran, Taiz, Ibb, Aljawf and Sa’da over the last few days. On Saturday, an airstrike, reportedly targeting a nearby military base in Taiz, hit a residential area about 500 meters away, killing ten civilians and injuring seven.
Coalition forces are obliged by international law to thoroughly and transparently investigate all such attacks. Over the past three weeks, at least 52 public buildings were partially or completely destroyed by airstrikes as well as by shelling and other forms of ground-fire.
Eight hospitals were hit in Sana’a, Sa’da, Dhale and Aden; 17 schools and educational institutions in Aden, Dhale, Hajjah, Ibb and Sana’a; the three main national airports in Sana’a, Aden and Hudaydah; the main power station in Sa’da; and bridges, factories, farmlands and five mosques in Dhale and Sa’da.
There have also been worrying reports of arbitrary arrests, indiscriminate firing at protesters and attacks against media premises by Houthi-affiliated forces, he added.