UN rights chief says civilians are bearing the brunt of fighting in Yemen
UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk says 32 civilians, including 15 children, have been killed since August as violence escalates.
GENEVA: The UN's top human rights official has warned that civilians are suffering the most severe consequences of the recent surge in violence in Yemen's civil war. Speaking on Thursday, Volker Turk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, emphasized that the conflict between Saudi-backed government forces and Iran-backed Houthis has reached a new level of intensity.
The escalation has been marked by renewed fighting along established battle lines, particularly around the city of Taiz, as the Houthis expanded their control southward along the Red Sea coast. This conflict has triggered a humanitarian crisis, with over 130,000 people displaced and some fleeing across the Red Sea to neighboring countries.
Turk's office has documented 32 civilian casualties since August, including 15 children and three women, resulting from drone and missile strikes. The total number of people documented as killed or wounded during the latest flare-up of violence stands at 125. Both sides involved in the conflict claim hundreds of casualties, but the UN has provided a specific tally to substantiate its claims.
The UN human rights office also documented three attacks by Ansar Allah, the official name for the Houthi movement, on internally displaced person camps since August. However, it remains unclear whether these incidents are included in the overall death toll reported by Turk. In response to the UN's findings, Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam accused the office of losing its impartiality, alleging that it ignores Saudi bombardments targeting public facilities in Yemen.
He cited an alleged attack on inmates at a correctional facility in al-Hazm, al-Jawf province, as well as homes and schools in several regions. Houthi officials deny the UN's allegations and assert that they are unsupported by evidence.
Turk called for the immediate release of over 70 UN staff members currently detained by the Houthis, some of whom have been held for years. He also urged all warring parties to take steps to protect civilians during the ongoing conflict. Saudi Arabia's diplomatic mission to the UN in Geneva declined to comment on the matter.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
