Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights: Rupert Colville
Location: Geneva
Subjects: (1) Yemen
(2) Central African Republic
(3) Escalating tensions in East Jerusalem and West Bank
(1) Yemen
In the two weeks from 11-24 September, a further 151
civilians have been killed -- including 26 children and 10 women -- and 151
injured in Yemen. This takes the total number of civilian casualties in the six
months since 26 March to 7,217, including 2,355 killed and 4,862 wounded.
During the reporting period, civilian casualties, including women and children,
continued to be recorded as a result of airstrikes and indiscriminate shelling
in residential areas by both sides to the conflict, which was taking place to a
greater or lesser degree in 11 different Governorates. More civilians have been
killed and injured by an increasing number of airstrikes targeting bridges and
highways.
On Sunday, Jordan’s Foreign Minister described his
Government’s “absolute rejection” of the parts of the High Commissioner’s
recent report on Yemen* to the Human Rights Council concerning possible
violations of international humanitarian law by the Saudi-led coalition forces.
The High Commissioner regrets that statement, and all
other suggestions that his Office should only report on alleged violations by
the Popular Committees affiliated with the Houthis and their allies. He notes
that the report – which contains a number of specific examples of possible
violations and abuses by both sides to the conflict – does not at any point
accuse the coalition forces of deliberately targeting civilians and civilian
infrastructure, although it does catalogue several specific incidents involving
airstrikes that caused large numbers of civilian casualties. Indeed, by the end
of the 12-month period covered by the report, almost two-thirds of reported
civilian deaths had allegedly been caused by coalition airstrikes, which were
also responsible for almost two-thirds of damaged or destroyed civilian public
buildings.
The high number of civilian casualties being caused by
airstrikes was starkly underlined by reports that yesterday a wedding party in
Wahijah, in Taizz Governorate, was hit by a coalition airstrike reportedly
killing as many as 130 civilians, including a large number of women and
children, and injuring many others. Our staff in Yemen are currently seeking to
confirm these reports, including precise details on casualties. If the numbers
are as high as suggested, this may be the single deadliest incident since the
start of the conflict.
The coalition is also indubitably responsible for the
naval blockade of Yemen’s main seaports, which UN humanitarian agencies have
repeatedly stated is greatly exacerbating the extremely dire humanitarian
situation affecting almost all of Yemen. As Undersecretary General for
Humanitarian Affairs Stephen O’Brien informed the Security Council on 19
August, “a shocking four out of five Yemenis [some 21 million people] require
humanitarian assistance and nearly 1.5 million people are internally
displaced.” Mr. O’Brien noted specifically that “disregard for human life by
all parties continues” and said that airstrikes and other shelling in and
around Hudaydah port were “in clear contravention of international humanitarian
law and are unacceptable.”
The numerous alleged violations and abuses described in
the High Commissioner’s report to the Human Rights Council were, unless stated
otherwise, individually verified or cross-checked with a number of independent
and credible sources, in accordance with established methodology. Members of
the High Commissioner’s team in Yemen have taken considerable trouble, at great
personal risk, to verify as many incidents as they can. However, the report
clearly acknowledges that, because of the dire security situation, they were
“unable to verify the vast majority of allegations of human rights violations
and abuses or violations of humanitarian law.”
For this reason, among others, the High Commissioner’s
report recommended that the coalition forces and the Government of Yemen ensure
prompt, thorough, effective, independent and impartial investigations. The
report also called on the international community to encourage the
establishment of an international independent and impartial mechanism to
investigate alleged violations and abuses of international human rights law and
alleged violations of international humanitarian law.
The UN’s Special Advisers on the Prevention of Genocide
and on the Responsibility to Protect, Adama Dieng and Jennifer Welsh, on 15
September expressed “alarm about allegations of serious violations of
international humanitarian law and human rights law throughout the country,
committed by both sides to the conflict.” The High Commissioner shares that
alarm as well as their concern at what they termed “the virtual silence of the
international community about the threat to populations.” He stresses that
reporting on alleged violations and abuses by one side only would be a
dereliction of duty, and is not an option any UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights would consider.
On a more positive note, the Government of Yemen, which
enabled the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to establish a Country Office
in 2012, has recognized that violations and abuses have been committed by both
sides, and established a national investigative body – a development the High
Commissioner has welcomed.
We shared the report on Yemen with the Governments of
Yemen and Saudi Arabia before submitting it to the Human Rights Council, which
will decide what action to take based on the findings and recommendations it
contains.
*The High Commissioner's report to the Human Rights
Council on Yemen (A/HRC/30/31) can be found here:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/RegularSessions/Session30/Pages/ListReports.aspx
(2) Central African Republic
We are extremely concerned about the recent outbreak of
violence in Bangui, following the gruesome killing of a young Muslim
motorcycle-taxi driver last Saturday.
Clashes and reprisal attacks have so far reportedly killed at least 37
people and injured more than 100 others.
Private properties, religious premises and the offices of
international humanitarian organisations have also been looted. Last night,
some 500 prisoners escaped from Bangui’s main prison. This is a huge setback
for the preservation of law and order, and for the fight against impunity,
which has been and remains a chronic problem in CAR.
This is a crucial moment for the Central African
Republic. The Transitional Government authorities must work closely with
MINUSCA and other international forces to urgently stop what appears to be a
deliberate attempt to derail the current peace process and important progress
made in CAR over the last 18 months.
During his recent mission to CAR from 1 to 4 September,
the High Commissioner called for concrete measures to end cycles of impunity
and violence that have left the CAR decimated after decades of misrule.
The protection of civilians, the prevention of killings,
including based on the victim’s religion or ethnicity, and other serious human
rights violations as well as the disarmament of armed groups must be the top
priorities.
The High-Level Meeting on CAR which will take place on
Thursday on the margins of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York provides
a critical opportunity for the international community to commit the financial,
technical and political support needed to implement the key outcomes of the
Bangui Forum, in particular to disarm militias wreaking havoc today and to
establish transitional justice mechanisms.
(3) Escalating tensions in East Jerusalem and West Bank
We are concerned about clashes and escalating tensions in
East Jerusalem and in the West Bank, due to a wave of protests against access
restrictions imposed by the Israeli authorities on Palestinian worshippers
wishing to enter the Al Aqsa Compound.
We note with concern allegations that Israeli security
forces may, in some cases, have used excessive force against Palestinian
protesters in East Jerusalem in recent days. We also call for restraint
following the authorisation granted by Israeli authorities on Sunday on the use
of live fire in life-threatening situations in East Jerusalem. Any lethal use
of force could exacerbate the cycle of violence and further inflame an already
tense situation. We urge the Israeli authorities to ensure that security forces
only employ force as a last resort and in full accordance with the standards
laid out under international law for maintaining public order, including
detailed guidelines governing the use of live ammunition.*
We also note with concerns allegations of excessive use
of force against protesters by Palestinian security forces in Bethlehem on
Friday. We welcome the decision by the Government of the State of Palestine to
set up an investigative committee into the conduct of Palestinian police during
this demonstration.
We urge all sides to exercise restraint and to take
measures to restore calm in the area, including through the maintenance of the
historic status quo at Haram Al-Sharif, which includes the Al Aqsa Compound. We
remind Palestinian and Israeli authorities of their duty to investigate any
alleged excessive of force by their security forces and to ensure
accountability.
ENDS
* The conduct of law enforcement officials is addressed
by a number of specific international standards and codes, including the UN
Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials,
and the UN Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials.
For more information or media requests, please contact
Rupert Colville (+41 22 917 9767 / rcolville@ohchr.org) or Ravina Shamdasani
(+41 22 917 9169 / rshamdasani@ohchr.org) or Cécile Pouilly (+41 22 917 9310 /
cpouilly@ohchr.org)
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