Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
September 18, 2009
Today, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay called on the Yemeni government to investigate incidents involving air raids in the conflict zone in the north of the country that resulted in civilian deaths. She emphasized her extreme concern over the airstrike on a camp for internally displaced persons.
Navanethem Pillay's statement noted that on September 16, government aircraft bombed a camp housing some 150,000 internally displaced persons, killing dozens.
All of them were forced to leave their homes and flee as a result of the intensification of armed clashes between government forces and Shiite rebels in Saada province in northern Yemen on August 12.
The UN High Commissioner noted that this was the second airstrike in the past three days that resulted in fatalities among civilians. She stated that this development in the conflict is extremely concerning.
Navanethem Pillay called on the authorities and the rebels not to violate international humanitarian law and to take all measures to protect civilians.
"The government must conduct a full investigation into what happened and take immediate action to prevent such tragedies in the future," the UN's top human rights defender urged.
Meanwhile, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the conflict zone. A large number of civilians remain trapped in the city of Sa'ad, isolated from the outside world and deprived of international assistance.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.