Coalition rejects UN report on children in Yemen
riyadh — The Saudi-led Arab Coalition in Yemen has rejected a report issued by the UN SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres, saying it contained inaccurate data on children who lost their lives in the armed conflict in Yemen.
Colonel Turki Al Malki, the coalition’s official spokesperson, said that the report included false and baseless information that were taken from local organisations supported by Yemen’s former president. “These organisations provided the UN staff with the incorrect information,” Colonel Maliki said, adding that such claims were not documented by any images, locations or timeframes.
During a regular conference of the Joint Forces Command on Monday, Maliki pointed out that the National Commission of Inquiry has mentioned in its latest human rights violations reports that at least 100 children who lost their lives in the battlefield, where moved to Sana’a by Houthi militias, and issued with death certificates.
The UN reports said that in some cases, children from the age of 12 were recruited by the Houthis, however, Maliki said the Coalition has reliable data proving the Houthis recruited children as young as eight-years-old.
Maliki said the Houthi militias responsible for the death of children who lost their lives after they were recruited and sent to the battlefield.
He concluded that the Yemeni government has declared its adherence to the political solution to the Yemeni crisis in the interest of the Yemeni people, citing the previous government’s statement confirming that the Houthi militias have been intransigent on reaching a political solution that solves this crisis.—