Stop Houthi abuses in Yemen

Yemen needs a political revival and the legitimate government of President Hadi should be back in the saddle.

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Published: Tue 13 Oct 2015, 12:00 AM

Last updated: Wed 14 Oct 2015, 9:56 AM

The war and vandalism in Yemen has led to serious human rights violations. Houthi terrorists and former president Saleh's supporters have targeted their opponents with impunity and are getting away with it. Child soldiers are being used in the war by the rebels, and more than 500 children have been killed in the strife-torn country since March when the fighting escalated, the UN children's agency said. GCC and Arab forces have brought the abuses to the fore and it is important that the UN take note of them and act against the perpetrators who are prolonging the war.
The United Nations has repeatedly called on all sides to renounce violence and ensure immediate access to humanitarian assistance in conflict areas. There is hardly any civil order left in the strife-torn country, except in the south where the GCC-Arab coalition and Yemeni forces have taken over the port of Aden and areas close to it, including the Bad Al Mandab strait.
In recent weeks, the Houthis and militias loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh have gone on a killing spree, resulting in the massacre of hundreds of innocent families.
The world body has documented such violations as ''killing of civilians, arbitrary detentions, the recruitment of children and the targeting of schools, hospitals and private property by combatants''. The conflict has led to a large exodus of people; millions have fled the country. Moreover, the damage to infrastructure will take years to fix.
Yemen cannot progress without external help. The UAE has led the way in rebuilding the country. Humanitarian assistance has been increased by Dh300 million. Military gains of the GCC Arab coalition should pave the way to a UN-sponsored dialogue, wherein all the militias should be disarmed and a national government set up. Yemen needs a political revival and the legitimate government of President Hadi should be back in the saddle. Human rights violations should be probed and the violators prosecuted under international law.


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