WHAT time is it? The answer could be life or death – because according to Oxfam, one ordinary person has been killed in Yemen every three hours in the past three months.
As many as 575 civilians have lost their lives since August 1 in the vicious conflict between Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition aiding the Yemeni government.
The figure does not include lives lost to hunger and disease, meaning the true toll taken on the impoverished nation is likely to be far higher.
Earlier this week the United Nations warned more than 14 million people could die from starvation if the war – which is fought with British-made weaponry – continues.
Today Muhsin Siddiquey, Oxfam’s country director in Yemen, said: “Every single life lost to this shameful conflict, be it through armed attacks, or through starvation and disease, should be an international outrage.
“Backers of all the warring parties should realise that they are complicit in this man-made crisis. Governments must comply with all international legal obligations to do their utmost to prevent civilian casualties or damage to civilian infrastructure. The international community urgently needs to do everything it can to get all sides in this war to agree a ceasefire.”
The call comes after Germany ceased its arms sales to Saudi Arabia, a decision taken following the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The UK Government has defended the lucrative sales, but Oxfam says it must cease the exports amid allegations of war crimes.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Rights Watch UK have announced they are to intervene in a fresh legal challenge over the UK’s arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
The case, originally brought by Campaign Against the Arms Trade, was dismissed at the High Court in London last year, but Rachel Logan, Amnesty International UK’s legal programme director, said: “We strongly believe the UK’s sale of arms to Saudi Arabia is in clear breach of both the UK’s own law and international law.
“It shouldn’t need a legal challenge to get ministers to halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia, but it seems to be the only way to get the government to finally do the right thing.”
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