Riyadh attacks on Yemen taking dreadful toll on civilians: UN

Riyadh attacks on Yemen taking dreadful toll on civilians: UN

The United Nations has expressed concern over Saudi Arabia’s aggression against Yemen especially in the northwestern province of Sa’ada, saying the onslaught is “taking a dreadful toll” on the Yemeni civilians.

Johannes van der Klaauw raised alarm over the situation in the Yemeni province in a statement released by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Sunday after the Saudi warplanes continued pounding various parts of Sa’ada for a second consecutive day. The devastating attacks, which have claimed the lives of scores of people, started after Yemeni tribal forces shelled some military bases south of Saudi Arabia in response.

“The targeting of an entire governorate will put countless civilians at risk,” the UN official warned.

He also stressed that the Saudi aggression against the Yemeni province and the indiscriminate bombing of populated areas are in contravention of international humanitarian law.

“Many civilians are effectively trapped in Sa’ada as they are unable to access transport because of the fuel shortage,” van der Klaauw added.

 

A group of 17 agencies, announced Sunday that the growing wave of air attacks by Saudi Arabia on the northern Yemeni province of Sa’ada are forcing 70,000 out of their homes.

“The impact on civilian infrastructure across Yemen has been devastating. Many Yemenis are now deprived of access to basic services, including medical treatment, food, water and other necessities. Conflict continues to rage across the country, putting men, women and children from all of Yemen’s communities at risk,” van der Klaauw said.

He further called on the international community to “redouble our efforts to stop the fighting and to save lives.”

Saudi raids continuing

According to the latest reports form Yemen, Saudi warplanes have fired at least 130 rockets on city of Kitaf in Sa’ada in the past few hours.

Saudi warplanes have also targeted a gas station in Yemen’s eastern province of Hajjah, killing at least five people.

In addition, Saudi fighter jets pounded a district in the southern Yemeni province of al-Bayda, which left at least two people dead and several others injured.

Reports also said that Saudi warplane targeted a historical castle in the Yemeni southern city of Tai’zz. A number of civilians lost their lives in the attack and considerable damage was caused to the residential buildings in the area.

Saudi Arabia started its military aggression against Yemen on March 26 – without a UN mandate – in a bid to undermine the Houthi Ansarullah movement, which currently controls the capital Sana’a and other major provinces, and to restore power to Yemen’s fugitive former president, Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, who is a staunch ally of Riyadh.

The Saudi military campaign has reportedly claimed the lives of over 1,200 people so far and injured thousands of others. Hundreds of women and children are among the victims, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The Al Saud regime has imposed a blockade on the delivery of relief supplies to the war-stricken people of Yemen in defiance of calls by international aid groups.