The chief human rights defender of the United Nations has expressed concern about the increase in the number of victims among the civilian population amid the escalation of military operations in Yemen and called for efforts to prevent the country from again being plunged into the maelstrom of a large-scale war.
"I call on all parties to ease the tension and free the Yemeni people from new sufferings. The Yemenis have already suffered too much from the devastating consequences of multi-year conflicts, displacements and humanitarian crisis, Volker Türk stated. "I strongly call on all parties to immediately stop any actions that could return Yemen to a full-scale conflict."
At least seven civilians were killed and 10 others wounded in Houthi attacks on government-held areas since August 6, the UN Human Rights Office said, while two civilians were reported injured in Houthi-held areas in late July.
On August 9, three port employees were killed and four others were injured as a result of rocket attacks and drone attacks carried out by the Houthis on Mokha port on the Red Sea coast, the department said.
The department added that another attack by the group on a cargo ship in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on August 11 reportedly killed four crew members (three Pakistanis and one Indonesian) and injured several others.
The Human Rights Department emphasized that numerous civil infrastructure facilities were also damaged as a result of the attacks, including fuel depots and a residential complex adjacent to the Saudi Field Hospital in Mokha.
"The attacks on civilian infrastructure threaten to further exacerbate the suffering of the civilian population at a time when at least 18 million Yemenis are already facing food insecurity," said Turk. "These attacks must be stopped immediately."
