The Saudi officials met with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to discuss the relief effort, which has raised questions about the Saudi role as both coalition leader and aid donor.
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A Saudi-led military coalition intervened in Yemen’s civil war in March, trying to restore the country’s internationally recognised government, after the Houthis seized control of state institutions.
According to media reports, the hospital was hit by several airstrikes on Monday.
Hassan Boucenine, the group’s head of mission in Yemen, told the New York Times that the health center was hit by at least two airstrikes on Monday, and that it had “collapsed”.
“It could be a mistake, but the fact of the matter is it’s a war crime. There’s no reason to target a hospital”, Boucenine continued.
A spokesperson for MSF said the attack was a violation of worldwide law, and demanded Saudi forces explain the attack – claiming they had been provided with detailed Global Positioning System coordinates in addition to the hospital being clearly identifiable from the air due to the logo painted on the roof. The hospital also lost 60 litres of petrol and 1,000 litres of diesel in the strike, a huge loss at a time when fuel supplies in Yemen are scarce. Earlier this month, the USA attacked a hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, killing at least 30 people.
The Tornado and Typhoon jets have been used by Saudi Arabia in its military operations in Yemen. Saba, which run by the rebels, said it was the only hospital in the area, which is a Houthi stronghold.
The Saudi-led coalition launched its anti-Houthi campaign in March 2015 in response to the “Ansar Allah” Houthi movement capturing large territories of Yemen, including Sanaa, the capital and the country’s second largest city, Aden.
“Now she says she prays that God will let the next bomb kill them all as it is so excruciating waiting for a bomb to hit.
There must be an independent investigation into why hospitals and their patients are being targeted, rather than protected, as global humanitarian law requires”, said Philip Luther.
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The Yemeni government, which is supported by Saudi Arabia, has long accused Iran of arming and financing the Shiite Houthi group against President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, but Iran has denied the accusation. More than 5,600 people have died in the conflict, and worldwide mediation attempts have mostly failed to stem the violence.
