International Centre: Yemenis still at risk of war crimes due to coalition
WORLD, June 08 (YPA) – Despite a significant decrease in hostilities, populations in Yemen remain at imminent risk of war crimes and crimes against humanity, according Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect.
The Centre confirmed that for the past eight years civilians in Yemen have suffered from recurrent war crimes and crimes against humanity, due to Saudi-led coalition war. The war has resulted in the death of thousands of civilians since March 2015.
The UN Security Council (UNSC)-mandated Panel of Experts on Yemen has reported that since 2015 arbitrary arrests and detention, enforced disappearances, ill-treatment and torture of detainees have been conducted by pro-coalition government and Saudi Arabia, as well as the Southern Transitional Council (STC)’s forces affiliated with the UAE.
According to the experts, from 2018-2021 the UN Human Rights Council (HRC)-mandated Group of Eminent Experts (GEE) on Yemen also documented a pattern of violations and abuses of international law perpetrated by all parties to the conflict that may amount to war crimes, including indiscriminate airstrikes and shelling, torture, arbitrary detention and sexual and gender-based violence.
The Centre added, “Canada, France, Iran, the United Kingdom and the United States may be complicit in these violations due to their provision of military intelligence, arms and logistical support to some parties to the conflict.”
On 2 April 2022 parties to the conflict commenced a truce brokered by the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, which was renewed twice but expired on 2 October, the Centre said.
It explained that between October 2021 and April 2022, the Saudi/UAE-led coalition perpetrated the highest rate of air raids since before the December 2018 Stockholm Agreement. Missiles and airstrikes across numerous governorates targeted and destroyed civilian objects, including water reservoirs, hospitals and telecommunications towers. Over 1,100 civilians were killed or injured between January 2022 and the start of the truce, including 471 as a result of coalition airstrikes.
This surge in civilian casualties and hostilities immediately followed the HRC’s failure to renew the mandate of the GEE on 7 October 2021, terminating the only international independent mechanism dedicated to monitoring international law violations in Yemen.
The abrupt termination of the GEE followed heavy diplomatic and political pressure from Saudi Arabia.
E.M