Local Editor

"The Saudi Arabia-led coalition carrying out attacks against the Houthis in Yemen has failed to investigate its apparently unlawful airstrikes that have killed hundreds of civilians", Human Rights Watch said on Friday, adding that, "The United States is also obligated to investigate attacks in which it played a role that allegedly violated the laws of war".

In a 73-page report on Friday, Human Rights Watch [HRW] said that it examined at least 10 "apparently unlawful" coalition airstrikes between April and August 2015 that killed at least 309 civilians and wounded more than 414.

According to the United Nations [UN], most of the 2,600 civilian deaths since the Saudi-led coalition began its military aggression in Yemen in late March have been from coalition airstrikes. HRW said that it is unaware of any investigations by Saudi Arabia, other coalition members, or the US into these or other allegedly unlawful strikes, or of any compensation for victims or their families.

"Human Rights Watch found either no evident military target or that the attack failed to distinguish civilians from military objectives", the report said.

Deputy Middle East director, Joe Stork, said that, "The coalition’s unwillingness to conduct even a single investigation of numerous potentially unlawful airstrikes is appalling", adding that, "While the coalition may have sophisticated weaponry and US support, its commitment to the laws of war is rudimentary at best". 

"The UN Security Council and Human Rights Council have sat idly by while coalition bombs are killing civilians", Stork added.

HRW further said that, "The US is a party to the conflict, playing a direct role in coordinating military operations". 

"US participation in specific military operations, such as aerial refueling during bombing raids, may make US forces jointly responsible for laws-of-war violations by coalition forces. As a party to the conflict, the US is obligated to investigate allegedly unlawful attacks in which it took part", HRW said. 

It added that the United Kingdom and France have supported the coalition by selling arms to Saudi Arabia and other coalition members. The US recently announced the sale of aerial bombs to Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The rights group said that it is also concerned by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition’s use of explosive weapons with wide-area effect in populated areas. A weapon that affects an area in a radius of dozens or hundreds of meters of its impact will almost certainly kill or wound civilians if used in populated areas, it said. 

On March 26, the Saudi Arabia-led coalition - consisting of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates [UAE], Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Sudan - with US participation, began an aerial aggression in Yemen. 

The airstrikes have not been authorized by the UN.