UN blacklists Saudi coalition for killing Yemeni children

CAIRO – 5 October 2017: A draft report outlined by the UN blacklisted the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen in the wake of the death and injury of 683 children in Yemen during 2016, The Guardian reported on Wednesday.

The coalition was also accused of carrying out 38 attacks on schools and hospitals, according to the report.

“All parties involved in Yemen’s war have failed to abide by international law. Children have paid the price,” said Kevin Watkins, CEO of Save the Children, according to The Guardian. Watkins said that being added to this shameful list should lead parties of the Yemen war, and the supporting countries as well, to end such violations.

The violations identified in the draft include, according to the Guardian, killing and injuring children, bombing schools and hospitals and recruiting children soldiers. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has to approve the report and the Security Council is to discuss it on October 31.

The UN reported more than 8,500 people were killed in Yemen, the majority consist of civilians, in addition to 48,000 injured and 20.7 million people labeled in need of humanitarian aid in the worst food security emergency in the world. Also, more than 2,000 out of 775,000 are believed to have been infected by the deadly cholera, and died in the world’s worst cholera outbreak, UNICEF reported.