The Report” Blind Airstrikes”, highlights the details of 44 incidents of aerial attacks by Saudi Arabia-led coalition that killed 615 civilians including 120 women and 220 children, and injured 678 others among whom at least 125 women and 167 children in nine Yemeni provinces.
A group of residents searching survivors under debris of a devastated house aftermath of an aerial attack by Saudi-led Arab coalition in al-Qasimi neighborhood at the old city of Sana’a-Yemen. June 12, 2015. Photo by: Mohammed Yaseen
Tue – (15 Dec 2015) – Sana’a
The Saudi Arabia-led coalition’s aerial attacks in Yemen have led to the killing and injury of hundreds of civilians since March 26, 2015, in flagrant violation for International Humanitarian Law, Mwatana Organization for Human Rights said in a report it released today.
The Report, ” Blind Airstrikes”, Civilian victims of Saudi Arabia-led coalition’ air strikes in Yemen, highlights the details of 44 incidents of aerial attacks by Saudi Arabia-led coalition that killed 615 civilians including 120 women and 220 children, and injured 678 others among whom at least 125 women and 167 children.
Mwatana Organization for Human Rights has documented the 44 incidents of unlawful airstrikes through carrying out a field research and conducting interviews with 155 persons including surviving victims, families of the victims, eye- witnesses and medical sources in nine Yemeni provinces: Sana’a, Taiz, Lahj, Ibb, Hodeidah, Sa’adah Hajjah, AL-Baidha and Dhamar, from 26 March to October 2015.
Mwatana called on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and all state members of its led coalition to stop violating International Humanitarian Law and its relevant Instruments particularly and immediately halt targeting civilians, infrastructure and civil institutions and locations the target of which may bring damage to civilians.
The report states that these attacks, which came at the request of Yemeni President Abdraboo Mansoor Hadi to restore his legitimacy, targeted non-military locations and populated areas with no military presence.
The Report calls on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to carry-out an impartial and transparent inquiry on the alleged attacks featured in this report and any other airstrikes led to civilian casualties and to declare findings of investigation for the public and to hold those responsible accountable bringing them into justice.
” It is very regrettable this denial by Saudi Arabia-led Arab coalition to the fact that these aerial attacks did target civilian objects in Yemen and thus resulted in loss of civilian lives and injures. Said Radhya al-Mutawakel, chairperson of Mwatana Organization for Human Rights
Mrs. al-Mutawakel holds the Saudi Arabia-led coalition the full legal and ethical responsibility for these violations which may tantamount to war crimes.
The Report concludes with a matrix of recommendations directed to all warring parties and to local, regional and international players and actors in the on-going conflict in Yemen, to put an end for the continuous loss of civilians’ lives and sabotaging their own their interests.
The Report emphatically calls for the formulation of an international commission to investigate all violations attributed to Saudi Arabia-led coalition that breach the International Humanitarian Law.
“International community is has to get out of its discreditable inaction and act responsibly towards such flagrant war violations against civilians committed by Saudi Arabia-led coalition and other warring parties in Yemen. ” International community must realize that it is gradually turning into an actor in compromising justice and will, thus, be supportive to perpetrators against victims of human rights violations.” al-Mutawakel asserted .
