Doctors Without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), has been forced to evacuate six hospitals in volatile northern Yemen after the Saudi-led military coalition dropped bombs on Abs hospital in Hajjah Governorate earlier this week.
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MSF said that aerial bombardment had continued despite its sharing of its hospitals’ Global Positioning System co-ordinates with the parties involved in the conflict, including the one in Hajjah governorate attacked on Monday.
“The air strike on Abs Hospital was the fourth and the deadliest attack on an MSF-supported medical facility during this war, while there have been numerous attacks on other health facilities all over Yemen”, the Geneva-based group said in a statement.
The developments come as Yemen’s defenseless people are under massive attacks by a coalition led by the Saudi regime. “By targeting schools and hospitals, the Saudis have entered a unsafe level of measures against humanity to the extent where global relief workers and Doctors Without Borders (MSF) have not been spared from the vengeful attacks of Saudi-led coalition”.
It said that the hospitals it was withdrawing from would remain staffed by local volunteers and government employees, adding that it would support the facilities with “medications, money and incentives” for the government staff.
American officials have said they have sought ways to help the coalition improve targeting and have ensured Saudi access to precision-guided munitions.
US military officials have advised the Saudi-led coalition on measures to prevent civilian casualties, Stump said.
Monday’s bombing of Abs hospital drew global condemnation, prompting the coalition to announce an investigation into the attack.
“This latest incident shows that the current rules of engagement, military protocols and procedures are inadequate in avoiding attacks on hospitals and need revision and changes”.
Violence escalated after the Saudi-led coalition launched a military campaign in March past year to shore up the government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. “That medical staff, sick and injured people are killed inside a hospital speaks of the cruelty and inhumanity of this war”.
Meanwhile, millions of people rallied in Yemen to voice their strong support for the Supreme Political Council, a body recently formed to run the country.
Saudi Arabia’s civil defense directorate said that the Houthis had launched a missile over the border into the Najran region, killing a Saudi and wounding five Yemenis and a Pakistani who were residents there.
“Civilians, including children, are paying the heaviest price in the ongoing conflict, as civilian infrastructure, such as schools and hospitals, continue to be hit”, said a statement issued by his spokesperson, citing Mr. Ban’s ongoing concern at the escalation of violence in the country since the Yemeni talks ended on 6 August.
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Springmann, who served in the United States government as a diplomat with postings in Germany, India, and Saudi Arabia, made the remarks in an interview with Press TV on Saturday while commenting on reports that the USA military is withdrawing from Saudi Arabia its troops who were helping the kingdom with its aggression against Yemen.
