Al-Thawra Net
Amnesty International in Britain said that the air strikes launched by the Saudi-led coalition on the neighborhood of Faj Attan, a residential area in the Yemeni capital Sana’a, confirms that Saudi Arabia, after more than two years of devastating war in Yemen has become more bloody than ever and more blatant in its disregard for international humanitarian law.
“Saudi-led coalition bombarded civilians while they were sleeping, killing five children and seriously wounding three others,” said Lynn Maalouf, Amnesty International’s Middle East research director, Yemen Press reported.
Local residents say a four-year-old girl was the only survivor of her family after the air strike killed the other seven members. “Many people were trapped under the rubble of their homes until the early hours of the morning.”
“A witness said the attack was caused by a series of air strikes that began in the region at about two o’clock in the morning and lasted for at least half an hour. According to the local population, there was no military target in the area at the time of the attack. Even if there are military targets, an aerial attack of this kind when civilians are present is likely to make it an illegal attack and a war crime,” Maalouf said.
“Following this terrifying night, there are serious questions for United Nations leaders who last year made a shameful decision to remove the coalition from the list of violators of children’s rights in conflict,” Lynn Maaloufn added.
“We call upon the United Nations to look into the evidence the schools and hospitals that were destroyed, the hundreds of young people who were lost in last year’s reckless air strikes and review this next resolution on children in armed conflict. There is an urgent need to put Saudi Arabia under scrutiny in a range of crimes under international law and other human rights violations committed by its forces in Yemen. ”
In June 2016, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced the removal of the Saudi-led military alliance from the list of states and armed groups that violate the rights of children in conflict. The move was a direct result of diplomatic pressure from Saudi Arabia.
