On
Yemen, UN's
Ban on IDP Airstrikes
& Hospital
Shelling,
Silent on Aid
Blockade
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, March
31, with video
-- Amid
complaints by
Doctors
Without
Borders and
the Red Cross
that they
can't get
medical aid
into Yemen,
Inner City
Press on March
31 asked UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
deputy
spokesperson
Farhan Haq who
in the UN is
raising the
issue to the
Saudi-led
coalition. The
answer was UNclear.
Video
here.
Later on March
31, the UN
issued a
belated statement
by Ban Ki-moon
about the
airstrikes on
an IDP camp in
northern Yemen,
"balanced" by
criticism of
shelling of hospitals
in the south,
with no
mention of the
aid blockade:
"The
Secretary-General
is deeply
concerned over
reports of
numerous
civilian
casualties
resulting from
ongoing
military
operations in
Yemen,
including an
airstrike on
30 March on
the Al-Mazraq
camp for
internally
displaced
persons in
Harad, in the
north of
Yemen, and
attacks
against
several
hospitals in
Dhale, in the
south of the
country.
These attacks
left dozens
dead and
injured, among
them children.
"The
Secretary-General
reminds all
parties
involved in
military
operations in
Yemen of their
obligations
under
international
humanitarian
law to ensure
the protection
of civilians.
This includes
the strict
adherence to
the principles
of
proportionality,
distinction,
and
precaution. He
also stresses
that hospitals
and other
medical
installations
have a special
protected
status under
international
law.
"The
Secretary-General
reiterates his
firm belief in
the necessity
to resolve the
conflict
through
peaceful means."
So what is Ban
Ki-moon saying
to the Saudis?
Watch this
site.
On March 31,
Doctors
Without
Borders / MSF
said "the
closure of all
the
international
airports in
Sana'a, Aden,
and Hodeida,
and heavy
restrictions
on the
seaports, are
hampering the
delivery of
humanitarian
assistance."
On
March 30 came
reports of an
airstrike on
an internally
displaced
persons camp
in Haradh.
Inner City
Press
immediately
sought
confirmation
(and comment)
from the UN,
and then from
the US State
Department.
From
the State
Department
transcript:
Inner
City Press:
about
Yemen.
There’s this
report of an
IDP camp in
northern Yemen
called Haradh
that was hit,
and MSF said
that several
dozen people
were killed by
an
airstrike.
And I wanted –
last week,
Jeff Rathke
said that the
U.S. couldn’t
corroborate
casualties.
But does the
U.S. have
anything to
say about the
way in which
the campaign
is being waged
and safeguards
that should be
in
place?
And do you –
is there any –
do you see the
situation
moving closer
toward
resuming
dialogue
between
Houthis and
Hadi, or
further away?
MS.
HARF:
Well, that’s
certainly the
goal, right,
to get on a
path back to
political
dialogue.
So even
through the
military
action that
we’re
supporting,
that is the
goal. I
think it’s a
challenge at
the moment
given the
Houthis’
actions, quite
frankly, but
we’re trying.
I just saw the
report before
I got on the
phone about
the IDP camp,
so let me look
into that and
see if there’s
more we can
share. I
just don’t
know the facts
on it.
But in every
conflict,
we’ve always
been clear
that all sides
should avoid
civilian
casualties.
That’s
certainly – I
mean, it’s
important for
us.
We’ve called
on all sides
in conflicts,
including
here, to take
feasible
measures to
minimize harm
to civilians,
so that’s
obviously
important to
us. But
let me check
on the
specifics and
see if we can
anything back
to you after
the briefing.
Later on March
30, a US State
Department
official made
this response
to Inner City
Press, on
background:
"We
have seen the
media reports
regarding the
attack on the
Mazraq camp
for internally
displaced
Yemenis, which
reportedly
left over 20
individuals
dead. We
cannot confirm
details of the
attack. We
offer our
condolences to
the families
of the
victims. The
loss of
civilian life
in any
conflict is
tragic.
"We
call upon all
sides in Yemen
to comply with
international
humanitarian
law, including
the obligation
to take all
feasible
measures to
minimize harm
to civilians."
Inner City
Press also
asked the
March
president of
the UN
Security
Council,
Francois
Delattre of
France, about
the Haradh IDP
camp; he said
it had not
come up in the
UN Security
Council. Yet?
Video
here.
, 
