March 02, 2016

The West is ignoring Yemenis, while delivering the bombs that kill them

located:	Yemen
editor:	Vanessa Ellingham

As a meeting on the Arms Trade Treaty got underway in Geneva this week, Amnesty International called for arms flows to Yemen to be halted in order to prevent further human rights violations.

Increased violence, including possible war crimes, that have sparked a humanitarian crisis amid Yemen’s armed conflict will only worsen unless all states immediately impose a comprehensive embargo on arms transfers that could be used by any of the warring parties, Amnesty International warned.

ATT States Parties and signatories are among those who continue to supply weapons to Saudi Arabia and its coalition partners for use in Yemen – in brazen violation of the treaty, in particular its human rights provisions. Arms have also been diverted into the hands of Huthi and other armed groups fighting in Yemen.

“The world has not only turned its back on the people of Yemen; many states have actually contributed to their suffering, supplying the weapons and bombs that have been used to unlawfully kill and injure civilians and destroy homes and infrastructure. This has caused a humanitarian catastrophe,” said Brian Wood, Head of Arms Control and Human Rights at Amnesty International.

“All states, as well as international organizations such as the European Union and United Nations, should do everything in their power to prevent this terrible humanitarian toll from worsening further. A vital first step would be immediately turning off the taps on the irresponsible and unlawful flow of arms that could be used in the conflict in Yemen.”

Amnesty International has documented how, since the conflict erupted last March, all sides have committed a string of serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, including possible war crimes, with impunity. This has contributed to the deaths of nearly 3,000 civilians, including at least 700 children, has injured more than 5,600 and displaced upwards of 2.5 million people.

Since the start of the conflict in March 2015, Amnesty International has documented 30 airstrikes across five different governorates (Sana’a, Sa’da, Hajjah, Ta’iz and Lahj) by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition that appear to have violated international humanitarian law, resulting in 366 civilian deaths (more than half of whom were women and children) and 272 civilian injuries. These have included attacks on hospitals, schools, markets and mosques, which may constitute war crimes.

Amnesty International has also investigated 30 indiscriminate or reckless ground attacks by Huthi/Saleh-loyalist forces in the southern cities of Aden and Ta’iz which killed at least 68 civilians and injured 99 others (most of whom were women and children). Imprecise battlefield weapons are used on a daily basis in residential areas, causing civilian casualties and showing disregard for civilian lives. Such indiscriminate attacks violate the laws of war.

As long as states keep allowing their arms to reach Yemen, they are complicit in those crimes.