In
Yemen, Airstrikes
on Haradh IDP
Camp Confirmed
to ICP by UN,
What Next?
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, March
30 -- Amid
continued
airstrikes in
Yemen, 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 UNHCR and
the UN
Spokesperson's
Office. The
latter
responded four
minutes before
the day's noon
briefing, below.
It was UNHCR
which answered
first, via its
Spokesperson
for Asia, Babar
Baloch:
"Dear
Matthew:
Sadly, the
reports are
correct. Our
team on the
ground
confirms the
attack on Al
Mazraq area in
Hajjah that
took place
around 11.30am
local time
with
unconfirmed
reports of 15
to 20 deaths
and as many
injured. There
are two IDP
camps in the
area that host
some 1100
displaced
families. We
are not able
to confirm how
the attack
happened, but
remain
concerned for
the safety and
security of
the displaced."
In front of the
UN Security
Council on the
morning of
March 30,
questions were
asked of
entering
Ambassadors -
nearly all
about Boko Haram.
Inner City
Press asked a
spokesperson
about the airstrike
on IDPs in
Yemen but news
seemed not to
have reached
the Security
Council.
An
hour later,
still silence
from Ban
Ki-moon and
the UN Office
of the
Spokesperson.
Finally, four
minutes before
the day's noon
briefing, this
from UN
Spokesperson's
Office:
"OCHA
in Yemen says
that its local
partners
report that
airstrikes hit
one of the IDP
camps and the
surrounding
area in Hajjah
and that there
are reports of
civilian
casualties.
The United
Nations and
partners are
working to
verify this
information."
At the
highest
levels, the UN
system is in a
sense "all -
in" with the
Saudi military
coalition,
quiet on the
fact that it
includes Sudan
and on
civilian
casualties.
Back
on March 27 in
Washington
Inner City
Press asked
State
Department
spokesperson
Jeff Rathke if
the US has
been in
contact with
the UN's Jamal
Benomar:
"On
Yemen, has the
U.S. had any
contact with
Jamal Benomar,
the special
advisor who’s
supposed to be
mediating?
And how do you
think that the
– what’s the
process from
bombing to
getting the
Houthis back
to the
table?
Is anyone
actually
reaching out
to them?"
Rathke said he
didn't have
such
information in
front of him.
But later a
State
Department
official told
Inner City
Press on
background:
"We
remain in
regular
contact with
UN Special
Advisor Jamal
Benomar.
We understand
that Benomar
remains
engaged with
political
representatives
from all
parties,
including the
Houthis.
While we have
not had direct
contact with
the Houthis,
we have passed
messages to
them.
"The path for
political
dialogue will
come when the
Houthis and
former regime
elements halt
their
destabilizing
military
actions and
realize that
the only
viable path
forward is
through
peaceful
negotiations."
On civilian
casualties in
Sana'a, Rathke
said "we’ve
always been
clear that in
every
conflict, all
sides should
avoid civilian
casualties.
I don’t – I’m
not able to
corroborate
those reports
that you’ve
mentioned, but
clearly, we
think it’s
important to
act in a
targeted way
in any kind of
military
conflict." Here
is Amnesty
International's
report.
This will be
updated.
, 
