UN: 100 civilians killed a month in Yemen war, most by coalition

An average of 100 civilians a month are dying in Yemen’s war which entered its third year this weekend, most killed by the Saudi-led coalition’s airstrikes and shelling, the United Nations human rights office said on Friday.

In a statement marking the second anniversary which was marked yesterday, it said it had confirmed 4,773 civilians killed and 8,272 injured in the conflict pitting Iran-allied Houthi rebels against the ousted Yemeni government backed by the Saudi-led Arab coalition.

The latest victims included 32 Somali refugees and a Yemeni civilian killed by “shelling from a coalition warship” and shooting by an Apache helicopter in an attack on their boat off the coast a week ago, it said. A further 10 are missing.

Read: 31 Somalis killed in raid off Yemen coast-source

Civilians in Taiz were suffering “desperate shortages” of food and water due to Popular Committees allied to the Houthis who encircle the city and prevent aid deliveries, it said.