Local Editor
In an interview with Russia Today (RT) an official with Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that Saudi-led airstrikes in Yemen may amount to war crimes.
According to HRW’s communications and advocacy director for the Middle East & North Africa, Ahmed Benchemsi the strikes, which have so far killed thousands of civilians plunged Yemen into a “deep humanitarian catastrophe”.
“More than 3 million people have been displaced in Yemen and more than 80 percent are relying on some form of humanitarian aid. Yemen has the highest rate of child malnutrition in the world now and it is estimated that one in five persons are in severe food insecurity,” Benchemsi said, citing data from the World Food Program.
“We ourselves, at Human Rights Watch, were able to document 61 apparent unlawful airstrikes, all conducted by the coalition, some of which may amount indeed to war crimes and that have killed nearly 900 civilians and have hit civilian areas, including markets, schools, hospitals and private homes,” Benchemsi added
He called on the US, UK and France to stop selling weapons to Riyadh.
“We clearly recommend that the United States, the United Kingdom, France and others should suspend all weapons sales to Saudi Arabia until they curtail their unlawful airstrikes in Yemen and until also a credible investigation is conducted about those violations," the HRW official said, adding that previous investigations conducted by the coalition do not appear to be “fair or credible.”
Source: RT, Edited by Website Team
