Saudi-led coalition to probe possible abuses in Yemen
by Compiled from Wire Services
ISTANBULFeb 02, 2016 - 12:00 am GMT+3
by Compiled from Wire Services
Feb 02, 2016 12:00 am
The Saudi-led Arab coalition battling Shiite rebels in Yemen announced Sunday the creation of an independent commission of inquiry to examine charges of possible abuse against civilians in the conflict. The coalition command, in a brief statement published by the official Saudi SPA news agency, said it had formed "an independent team of experts in international humanitarian law and weapons to assess the incidents and investigate the rules of engagement." The coalition said the objective was to "develop a clear and comprehensive report on each incident with the conclusions, lessons learned, recommendations and measures that should be taken" to spare civilians. Yemen descended into chaos when the coalition began air strikes last March to support the government and push back Iran-backed Shiite Huthi rebels who had taken over the capital Sanaa. More than 5,800 people have since been killed and 27,000 wounded, according to UN figures. About 60 percent of all civilian deaths and injuries were caused by air-launched explosives, the report said. Also, almost 15 million Yemenis - more than half of the war-torn country - do not have access to sufficient food, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). "The numberhas grown by 12 percent since June 2015 to 14.4 million," FAO said in a statement. It added that 2.3 million people were internally displaced, an increase of more than 400 percent from 12 months ago.
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