57 human rights groups call for UN inquiry in to Yemen

Fifty-seven human rights groups have demanded that a United Nations inquiry takes place on abuses in Yemen, Human Rights Watch reported.

The human rights groups called upon the UN Human Rights Council to create an independent inquiry to document the abuses by all parties to the Yemen war. A joint letter mentioned the dire humanitarian crisis and famine amid a civil war. Some 5,110 civilians have been killed since March 2015 and at least 8,719 wounded in the civil war, according to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

Human Rights Council shouldn't fold to pressure 3rd time. #HRC36 should ensure #YemenInquiryNow https://t.co/2mC8uEAjnO

— Philippe Bolopion (@Bolopion) August 29, 2017

The call for an inquiry comes off the back of last week’s news of a Saudi-led coalition bombing of a hotel in the Yemeni capital, Sana’a. Saudi Arabia has since accepted responsibility for the airstrike in Faj Attan district, and claimed 14 civilians were killed as a result of a “technical error”.