at the beginning of this week was in the province of Saada in the North-West of Yemen a vehicle under fire. From the air it was attacked by forces of the Saudi Arabia-led International coalition. The attack resulted in 13 deaths, among them four children.
The attack took place just a few hours after UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, had been removed, the International coalition of an annually renewed the Black list of the United Nations. At the same time political actors in the violence against children practice.
To this list, countries or groups to be set the children to kill, hurt or abuse. Actors who kidnap children or for military service recruit, where they are recorded, as well as those that deny children access to supplies, schools and hospitals to attack. The Saudi Arabia-led military coalition in Yemen, three years on this list.
The coalition will be taken “after a sustained significant decline in killings and mutilations” of the list, explained Guterres, the decision, the Saudi-led Alliance there is no longer enumerate. He added, however, that the coalition would be monitored for a year. Each “failure” to reduce the number of casualties of children, will lead to the fact that the coalition will set in the coming year, once again on the list.
critics speculate, however, about a context that Saudi-Arabia – could-although it is self-active, belligerent party – the beginning of the month, for the first time officially as a Partner on the side of the UN to lead an international donors ‘ conference for Yemen with align.
the main victims of the war
“After five years of war, the suffering of the Yemeni children under all those Affected the most,” says Yousra Semmache, head of the Department of policy and communications at the children’s aid organisation “Save the children” in Yemen. “By the ongoing fighting have been killed and injured and deprived of their basic rights. In addition, civilian infrastructure such as schools and hospitals in Yemen, were attacked on a routine basis. Thus, children were vulnerable even in places where they should be safe.”
These observations are consistent with the Findings of the on 9. June, published in UN annual report on children in conflict region. This also documents the situation in Yemen. Overall, the UN reported there in the past year, 4042 cases of severe violence against a total of 2159 children.
The document according to more than 680 children were recruited as fighters, among them 43 girls. Most of the cases (482) go to the account of the Iranian-backed Houthis also known as “Ansar Allah”, which the fight of the Saudi-led military coalition is. However, with the Saudis allies of the regular Yemeni army not to flinch in front of the recruitment of minors: she put 136 children in their services.
in Addition, have been arrested 2019 nearly 100 minors. Here, too, most of the arrests were 68 children on the account of the Houthis, followed by the Yemeni army, which imprisoned the 26 children, the Saudi Alliance arrested 25 children. Most of the Minors were later released.
More than 140 Yemeni children were killed in 2019 or mutilated. Here, too, most of the victims go to the UN report, according to the account of the Houthis. They killed 395 and mutilated 1052 children. In the second place, the International coalition is: To your account 222 killed or maimed children go as a whole. The Yemeni army is responsible for the death or the maiming of 96 children. More children have died due to fighting on the ground, land mines and other Explosives by air attacks, and bombs.
attacks on schools and hospitals
It seems as if attacked children deliberately. At least your death will be noted approvingly. This fact suggests that the UN report, a total of 35 attacks on schools and hospitals, listed buildings. Here, too, most of the attacks (15) go to the account of the Houthis. The International coalition is made in the report for four attacks.
However, the suffering of children is not confined to the immediate violence, says Yousra Interview Semmache of the “Save the children” in the DW. “More than 12 million children in Yemen are in need of humanitarian assistance. Many of them have been displaced and are suffering from acute malnutrition. In addition, training as well as access to basic health services are not currently accessible.” As a result, the future is to be limited opportunities for the children. “In addition, many suffer from preventable diseases such as Cholera and diphtheria. Since then, the COVID-19 pandemic in the country and its medical institutions, under pressure , children have even less access to basic health services,” said Semmache.
The Saudi Arabia-led International coalition has responded to the UN documentation, as well as Guterres’ decision to take you from the Black list. You welcome this step, it said in a Statement. But at the same time it calls on the UN to show the number of the in the Report mentioned 222 killed Minors.
criticism of Guterres’ decision-making
UN-Secretary-General, antónio Guterres, has deleted the Saudi-Alliance of the Black list, provides meanwhile, in the case of human rights learning for lack of understanding. Guterres ignore its own evidence to the UN for continued severe violations against children, such as the Human rights organization Human Rights Watch.
Also, the watchlist on children and armed conflict (“Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict”) criticizes: “the fact that he is from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates led coalition of any responsibility for the Killing and maiming of children in Yemen, has taken care of the UN-Secretary-General for children for further attacks remain vulnerable.”
The envoy of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict Virginia Gamba, asserts, however, that the UN had taken the Kingdom, “without pressure” from the list. The decision is based solely on the data.
“Nothing but death and destruction,”
“Save the Children” is currently in eleven governorates in Yemen is active. The focus of the work is on health, nutrition and protection of children. Overall, you have supported so far, four million children, Yousra Semmache. Nevertheless, “Save the children can’t keep” the children from disastrous and traumatic experiences, where they are exposed to due to war, disease, and poverty almost daily. “A child growing up in Yemen,” said Semmache, “knows nothing but death and destruction.”
author: Kersten Knipp, Lewis Sanders
*The contribution of “death and destruction – the suffering of children in Yemen” published by Deutsche Welle. Contact with the executives here.
Deutsche Welle
