Saudi’s Military Campaign Risks Yemeni Children Most

The war by a coalition of Arab countries led by Saudi Arabia has inflicted massive injury on the Yemeni civilians with children mostly bearing the brunt of the conflict.

In the latest air-strike by the military coalition, as many as twelve civilians including women and children were reported killed north-east of Sanaa, Yemen’s capital city. The Yemeni media claimed in the attack four children were killed in Hareeb al Qarameesh district, which is controlled by the Houthi rebels.

The attack drew the latest bout of backlash from rights groups condemning the Saudi military campaign. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Sunday condemned the killing of children in Yemen due to shelling adding that the attack is a stark reminder of the "immense suffering" faced by Yemenis.

"We cannot turn a blind eye on the rising number of civilians injured or killed as a result of indiscriminate attacks in Yemen's conflict," ICRC's Middle East chief Robert Mardini said in a statement.

Seeking an end to this “man-made suffering”, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) which mobilizes and coordinates humanitarian assistance to people in Yemen, said that the conflict in Yemen has “unleashed widespread fear, helplessness and death to children, women and men”.

According to United Nations (UN), the conflict, which began with Saudi military intervention more than two years ago, has killed more than 10,000 people and has injured more than 40,000 till date.

The Saudi coalition, that consists of United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Sudan and others, has imposed economic sanctions on the country which the rights groups claim has led to a major humanitarian crisis further elevated by the outbreak of cholera epidemic. Saudi Arabia has been accused of carrying out war crimes in its neighbouring country.

According to United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), at least 3,80,000 under-five children in the war-torn Arab nation are severely and acutely malnourished. And, the number could be higher.

Many observers now say that Saana will be the first capital in the world to run out of water. With diseases and injuries rampant, the Saudi sanctions have caused a shutdown of the lifeline seaport in the city and Sanaa airport. This has put the lives of thousands of patients wanting medical treatment outside at risk. According to reports in Yemen-based media, as many as 95,000 patients are waiting for an unknown fate due to the closure of the airport in Sanaa.

The Saudi led Arab coalition is fighting Houthi rebels since 2015 after they overthrew President Mansur Hadi in 2014. Houthis, backed by Iran, currently control almost half of the country and are loyal to a former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Al Saleh.

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