UN rights chief calls for international inquiry into Yemen conflict

The United Nations’ human rights chief on Tuesday called for an independent international investigation into the conflict in Yemen.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad al-Hussein said in a statement: “It is necessary to conduct an independent and international investigation into the conflict in Yemen”.

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“I have repeatedly called on the international community to take action, to set up an independent, international investigation into the allegations of very serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Yemen”.

“An international investigation would go a long way in putting on notice the parties to the conflict that the international community is watching and determined to hold to account perpetrators of violations and abuses”, he added.

Hussein described the international community’s reticence in demanding justice for the victims of the conflict in Yemen as “shameful, and in many ways contributing to the continuing horror”.

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He appealed “to all the parties to the conflict, those supporting them and those with influence over them, to have mercy on the people of Yemen, and to take immediate measures to ensure humanitarian relief for civilians and justice for the victims of violations”.

On Tuesday, the UN Human Rights Council issued a report which recorded violations and abuses of human rights and international humanitarian law in Yemen.

According to the report “between March 2015, when the UN Human Rights Office began reporting on civilian casualties, and 30 August, at least 5,144 civilians have been documented as killed and more than 8,749 injured”.