Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 06-10-2017
The United Nations (UN) has blacklisted the Saudi Arabia-led military coalition for killing and injuring 683 children in war-torn Yemen and attacking dozens of schools and hospitals in 2016.
The UN annual report on children in armed conflict noted, however, that the coalition had “put in places measures during the reporting period to improve the protection of children”.
The blacklist also named the Iran-allied Houthi rebel group, Yemen government forces, pro-government militia and Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula for violations against children in 2016.
In total, the document highlights the killing of 502 Yemeni children. It also says that 838 children were wounded in 2016.
The report from U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was submitted to the Security Council on Thursday and seen by Reuters.
The coalition had been briefly added to the blacklist in 2016 and then removed by then-U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon pending review.
At the time, Ban accused Saudi Arabia of exerting “unacceptable” undue pressure after sources told Reuters that Riyadh threatened to cut some U.N. funding. Saudi Arabia denied threatening Ban.
In an effort to dampen controversy surrounding the report, the blacklist this year is split into two categories.
One lists parties that have put in place measures to protect children, which includes the Saudi-led military coalition, and the other includes parties that have not.
The report, which was produced by U.N. Children and Armed Conflict envoy Virginia Gamba and issued in Guterres’ name, does not subject those listed to U.N. action but rather shames parties to conflicts in the hope of pushing them to implement measures to protect children.
0 Comments