Antonio Guterres stated that the UN is not facing any pressure from the Saudi-led coalition about the potential blacklisting of Saudi Arabia over the deaths of almost a thousand of Yemeni Children.

Last week a confidential UN report reporting the mounting death toll of children in Yemen at the hands of the Saudi-led coalition was leaked. The report notes that the Saudi-led coalition is regularly targeting schools and hospitals. The report which has not yet been approved by the UN secretary general would seek to put Saudi Arabia back on a list of countries that kill and maim children.

Since the invasion by the Saudi-led coalition, the humanitarian crisis has worsened due to the sea and air blockade put in place by the Saudi-led coalition, which is preventing humanitarian convoys from delivering medical supplies, food, and water to the starving Yemeni population. In addition, the regular airstrikes on medical facilities are hindering the effort to address the growing cholera epidemic.

Antonio Guterres has noted that unlike last year, the UN is not facing any pressure from Saudi Arabia regarding its potential blacklisting. The UN secretary general has also urged the Saudi-led coalition to reopen ports and airports to allow humanitarian aid to reach Yemen.

Saudi Arabia has taken responsibility for its most recent airstrike which claimed the lives of 14 civilians including children. Although Saudi Arabia stated that this particular attack was due to a technical error, it is only the most recent airstrike which is part of a number of attacks that systematically target civilians and public infrastructures such as schools and hospitals. Such attacks are prohibited under the Geneva Convention.

The Saudi-led coalition uses air crafts to conduct these air strikes which have been supplied by western powers including the Royal Airforce. Human Rights have noted this week that the British military sold two used Royal Airforce air crafts to the Bahraini government who is likely to use them in its ongoing war against Yemen.

ICSFT urges the UN Secretary General to not only take steps and launch an independent inquiry into the war crimes and serious violations of the Geneva Convention by the Saudi-led coalition but also to reinstate the blacklisted status of Saudi Arabia.