UN sets up expert group to examine rights violations in Yemen war

GENEVA (dpa)- The UN Human Rights Council set up a group of eminent experts on Friday to examine alleged violations committed during the regional conflict that is playing out in Yemen.
European countries had initially called for a formal UN inquiry commission, like the ones that have been set up for Syria or North Korea.
In a bid for support from Arab countries, they ended up agreeing to a less clearly defined "Group of Eminent International and Regional Experts."

Human Rights Council members such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are part of the military coalition that has been supporting Yemen's government with airstrikes that have killed thousands of civilians amid their fight against Houthi rebels.
More than 5,100 civilians have been killed and more than 8,700 injured since the UN started monitoring casualties in March 2015, according to a report by the UN's Human Rights Office in September.
The Saudi-led coalition supporting Hadi was responsible for 60 per cent of these deaths through airstrikes, while the Houthis have shelled civilians and recruited more than 1,100 child soldiers, the report showed.
Yemen has been ravaged by the war since 2014 between the government, which is supported by regional power Saudi Arabia, and the Houthi rebels, who are backed by Saudi Arabia's rival Iran.
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Friday, September 29th 2017

dpa