By Andrew Cheetham
'The Saudi Arabia/UAE coalition is allegedly interfering with UN efforts to document war crimes in the conflict in Yemen, according to a recent statement from the head of the UN-mandated team of investigators sent to monitor human-rights abuses in the conflict.
The panel of investigators, led by Kamel Jendoubi, recently presented a list of human rights abuses to the United Nations. Many of the incidents detailed in that list were based on a report the same panel had published in August, which had accused all sides in the conflict of human-rights abuses.
However, the report was highly critical of the Saudi-led coalition and claimed that the coalition’s use of indiscriminate airstrikes was to blame for the majority of civilian casualties since the war began in early 2015. Over the course of the war, the coalition has bombed weddings, funerals, water tanks, health clinics, civilian buses, and schools. An estimated 10,000 civilians have been killed in the fighting, though the actual figure is likely much higher given that this figure has not been updated in over two years.
Notably, the panel’s August report had also mentioned the coalition’s land, air and sea blockade of Yemen – often glossed over by mainstream Western news services when reporting on Yemen – calling the blockade of all aid shipments, food, medical supplies, and basic humanitarian needs a potential violation of international humanitarian law for its key role in bringing Yemeni civilians to the brink of mass famine. The blockade has resulted in allowing history’s largest cholera epidemic to take hold in Yemen.
Since that report was released in August, Jendoubi asserted that the coalition has been directly interfering with the panel’s activities in regards to documenting alleged war crimes in the troubled country.
Speaking to Al Jazeera on Thursday, Jendoubi stated that he “did not expect such a harsh reaction [from Saudi Arabia and the UAE], [as] we’ve done a professional, neutral and objective job.” “All we did was report based on allegations and actions we collected during our visits, from testimonies and reports … It’s a normal process for any experts,” he added.'
Source: David Icke, Edited by Website Team
