Local Editor

Damning evidence of war crimes by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition, which is armed by states including the US, highlights the urgent need for the suspension of transfers of certain arms, Amnesty International [AI] said in a new report published on Wednesday.

The London-based watchdog urged holding an "independent, effective investigation of violations" by the coalition, in which US allies, the United Arab Emirates [UAE] and Saudi Arabia are playing a key role.

Amnesty’s latest report "uncovers yet more evidence of unlawful airstrikes carried out by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition, some of which amount to war crimes", said Donatella Rovera, who headed the group’s fact-finding mission to Yemen.
"It demonstrates in harrowing detail how crucial it is to stop arms being used to commit serious violations of this kind", she further said.

The report entitled, "’Bombs fall from the sky day and night’: Civilians under fire in northern Yemen" examines 13 deadly airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition in Sa’da, north-eastern Yemen, which killed some 100 civilians, including 59 children. It also documents the use of internationally banned cluster bombs.

Amnesty said that it is calling for a "suspension in transfers to members of the Saudi Arabia-led coalition, that are participating in the military "campaign", of weapons and munitions which have been used to commit violations of international humanitarian law, including war crimes in Yemen".

It specified "bombs from the MK [MARK] 80 series and other general purpose bombs, fighter jets, combat helicopters and their associated parts and components".

"More civilians have died as a result of coalition airstrikes than from any other cause during the conflict in Yemen", it further said.

"The city of Sa’da has suffered more destruction from coalition airstrikes than any other city in the country", it added.

"The report reveals a pattern of appalling disregard for civilian lives displayed by the Saudi Arabia-led military coalition which declared the entire cities of Sa’da and nearby Marran - where tens of thousands of civilians live - military targets in violation of international law. In at least four of the airstrikes investigated by Amnesty International, homes attacked were struck more than once, suggesting that they had been the intended targets despite no evidence they were being used for military purposes", Amnesty said.

Donatella Rovera said: "The designation of large, heavily populated areas as military targets and the repeated targeting of civilian homes are telling examples revealing the coalition forces’ flagrant failure to take sufficient precautions to avoid civilian loss of life as required by international humanitarian law". 

Overall at least 59 children were killed in the 13 airstrikes documented by Amnesty International in the Sa’da region between May and July 2015, many of them while they were playing outside their homes, others while sleeping.

In one airstrike on 13 June 2015 at a home in Dammaj valley in al-Safra, the Saudi-led coalition killed eight children and two women from the same family and injured seven other relatives.

"There were 19 people in the house when it was bombed. All but one were women and children. The children who would usually be outside during the day were in the house because it was lunchtime. They were all killed or injured. One of the dead was a 12-day-old baby", said, Abdullah Ahmed Yahya al-Sailami, whose one-year-old son was among those killed. 

Another relative who helped with the rescue efforts said the body of a one-year-old baby was found in the wreckage with his dummy [pacifier] still in his mouth. Amnesty International researchers found only household items - children’s toys, books and cooking utensils - among the rubble. No sign of weapons or military-ware could be found, nor any other evidence to suggest the house was a legitimate military target. 

Other attacks struck vehicles carrying civilians fleeing the conflict, foodstuff, humanitarian supplies and animals. The report also details several attacks on shops, markets and other commercial properties.

Amnesty further said that, "Civilians in Sa’da living under the terror of constant airstrikes are also contending with a major humanitarian crisis, which has seen electricity cut off to the whole of the city, the healthcare system collapsed in remote areas and a severe shortage of doctors".

Amnesty also said that its researchers also found remnants of two types of cluster bombs, BLU-97 sub-munitions and their carrier [CBU-97] and the more sophisticated CBU-105 Sensor Fuzed Weapon. Cluster bombs, which are banned under international law, scatter scores of bomblets over a wide area. Many of the bomblets fail to explode upon impact, posing an ongoing deadly threat to anyone who comes into contact with them.

Mohammed Hamood al-Wabash, 13, sustained multiple fractures in his left foot after stepping on an unexploded bomblet from a cluster bomb. 

Amnesty said that it is urging coalition members to cease the use of cluster munitions immediately, and for all states to stop transferring such weapons.

Recently last week, attempts to set up an independent, international investigation into the conflict at the UN Human Rights Council in Switzerland’s Geneva collapsed and instead a resolution was adopted supporting a national-led investigative committee.

"The world’s indifference to the suffering of Yemeni civilians in this conflict is shocking...," Donatella Rovera said, adding that, "Lack of accountability has contributed to the worsening crisis and unless perpetrators believe they will be brought to justice for their crimes, civilians will continue to suffer the consequences". 

Since March 26, a Saudi-led coalition backed by the United States has been carrying out a military aggression on Yemen by launching airstrikes against the country. The airstrikes have not been authorized by the United Nations [UN].

Several rights groups have repeatedly accused the Saudi-led coalition of causing civilian casualties during its bombing aggression.