Saudi-Led Military Campaign in Yemen Omitted From UK Annual Rights Report - Advocacy Group
A United Kingdom annual human rights report is under fire for its characterization of the civilian death toll in Yemen, by citing Houthi rebels for some abuses while failing to also cite the Saudi-led military campaign for killing innocents, Human Rights Watch said in a report on Monday
"The report's most striking weakness is on Yemen," a press release summarizing the report stated. "While acknowledging the many civilians killed in the conflict, it ignores the Saudi-led coalition's responsibility for many of these deaths in unlawful attacks. In marked contrast, the report does name the Houthis as being responsible for certain abuses."
The report noted that multiple organizations had documented Saudi-led strikes on civilian targets such as hospitals, funerals, weddings, markets, civilian homes and even a school bus, calling many of the attacks "war crimes.
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Instead of citing the Saudis, the UK human rights report treats strike deaths as merely unfortunate byproducts of war, according to Human Rights Watch.
The Saudi campaign backs Yemen's internationally recognized government's efforts to defeat Houthi rebels, who have seized control of much of western Yemen, Human Rights Watch said.
The UK report also falls short by failing to mention either Turkey or the Philippines, despite widely documented rights abuses, Human Rights Watch added.
Moreover, in Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Burma and China, the UK report's section on rights defenders fails to mention those currently jailed for their work, nor does it identify officials who are responsible, according to Human Rights Watch.