British Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia Causing “Significant Civilian Casualties” in Yemen

SH.A.

British arms sales to Saudi Arabia are causing “significant civilian casualties” in Yemen and are illegal, a parliamentary report said.

Theresa May’s refusal to curb weapons exports has been condemned by peers who conclude it is “on the wrong side” of international humanitarian law.

The British prime minister has faced down calls for a ban – on sales worth a staggering £4.7bn since the brutal war on Yemen began in 2015 – despite the growing humanitarian disaster, the Independent reported on Saturday.

An estimated 85,000 children under the age of five have died from extreme hunger or disease in the Saudi-led war on the impoverished Arab country. Up to 14 million people are at risk of famine.

Experts have highlighted “extraordinary rates of civilian deaths by airstrikes” carried out by the Saudi coalition, with about 166 people dying every month last autumn.

Now the House of Lords International Relations Committee says the prime minister must rein in arms sales to Riyadh “as a matter of urgency” – describing the situation in the country as “unconscionable”.

“We do not agree with the government’s assertion that it is narrowly on the right side of international humanitarian law in the case of licensing arms exports to the Saudi-led coalition,” said Lord Howell, its Conservative chairman.

“It is narrowly on the wrong side: given the volume and type of arms being exported to the Saudi-led coalition, we believe they are highly likely to be the cause of significant civilian casualties in Yemen, risking the violation of international humanitarian law.

“The government must address the root causes of the suffering – the conflict itself – and be prepared to suspend some key export licenses to Saudi Arabia and members of the coalition.”

UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has demanded a ban on arms sales to Saudi Arabia, pointing out that “Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and others” have already done so.

But ministers have insisted that exports are assessed “against strict criteria” and stopped if “there is a clear risk that the items might be used in the commission of a serious violation of international humanitarian law”.

Quizzed in the Commons in December, the prime minister ducked the controversy, insisting, “The question of providing for those people who are suffering terribly in the Yemen today is about ensuring that there is a political solution in the Yemen.

On the other hand General Joseph Votel, commander of U.S. Central Command, on Sunday said that his country’s forces would continue to support the war coalition led by Saudi Arabia against Yemen.

“We continue to support the Saudi-led coalition, and in particular to help it with precision targeting and reduce the risk of civilian casualties,” said Gen. Votel in an interview with France Press Agency (AFP) on sidelines of the International Defence Exhibition (Idex) in Abu Dhabi.

He added “We continue to focus on defeating al-Qaeda and Daesh (ISIS) organization, and we are still fully prepared to do what is necessary in this regard.”

The US forces have been supporting the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen since 2015 against Sanaa government.

According to statistics from UN bodies and organizations, hundreds of thousands of civilians have been killed and injured, with many more suffering from deteriorating humanitarian conditions, outbreaks of disease and epidemics, especially cholera, and a decline in the volume of cash reserves.