Stop selling arms to Saudis for Yemen war, UN warns West

UNITED Nations experts have called on Britain and the US to stop selling weapons to Saudi Arabia for use in its campaign in Yemen.

A report for the UN Human Rights Council cites growing evidence that Western-made bombs are being used in potential war crimes in the conflict.

Both the UK and US supply Saudi Arabia with munitions that are used in Yemen. A US laser-guided bomb is believed to have been used in a strike in early August which killed 40 children.

The report said all sides in the war – the Yemeni government and its Saudiled backers as well as the Houthi rebels supported by Iran – may have committed war crimes.

At least 6,475 civilians have been killed since the Saudi intervention in Yemen began in March 2015 but the report warns that the real figure is likely to be “significantly higher”.

Most of the civilians were killed by air strikes carried out by the Saudi-led military coalition. Human rights groups seized on the report to repeat their calls for an end to arms sales.

“Our allies Saudi Arabia and UAE are among the parties accused of potential war crimes, and yet the UK continues to sell weapons to both,” said George Graham, Save the Children’s director of conflict and humanitarian advocacy

A Foreign Office spokesman said the Government was “carefully considering” the UN report.

The Saudi-led coalition said it had referred the report to its legal team.

James Mattis, the US defence secretary, said their support for the coalition was “not unconditional” but gave no indication that the US planned to withdraw support.