MSF said it had supplied the health centre’s coordinates to the Saudi Arabian coalition, which has been fighting against insurgent Houthi rebels in Yemen for about seven months.
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Sury said that Monday night MSF’s hospital was targeted by airstrikes six times, adding that only the coalition is capable of conducting airstrikes. “It was covering the health needs of the population so honestly I don’t know how the population will manage to have access to healthcare”, said MSF’s Dr. Meguerditch Terzian.
Twelve patients and staff were in the small facility at the time, and only one remains in critical condition – a patient injured during the attack.
He said today: “During my trip with Matthieu [Aikins of Rolling Stone] to Sa’adah, we were hosted at the Ghomhori hospital and we were told that it was the only safe place to stay in and that we would not be struck because of the presence of the MSF team”.
MSF did not immediately confirm the report nor apportion blame.
In the latest incident the United Nations has blamed Saudi air strikes for the destruction of a hospital operated by the global charity Doctors without Borders – Riyadh is calling for an investigation.
The Huthis, backed by Saudi Arabia’s regional rival Iran, overran Sanaa in September 2014 and went on to seize control of several regions, aided by elite forces loyal to Saleh.
About 7,000 people have lost their lives in the Saudi air raids, and a total of almost 14,000 people have been injured since March 26. “The consecutive airstrikes show deliberate targeting of the medical facility – this is another sad day for civilians”, said Philip Luther, the director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty global.
The group’s head of mission in Yemen, Mr Hassan Boucenine, said the attack was “another illustration of a complete disregard for civilians in Yemen, where bombings have become a daily routine”. She stressed that this is why attacking a hospital is prohibited and that they should be protected. Earlier this month, the USA attacked a hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, killing at least 30 people.
“We call on all parties to the conflict to respect and protect medical personnel and units and take every precaution to protect civilians caught up in the conflict”.
“26, according to information gathered by the UN Human Rights Office, the conflict in Yemen has caused an estimated 2,615 civilian deaths”, Rupert Colville, spokesman for the UN’s human rights agency, said at the press conference.
AFP could not independently verify this toll as the rebels rarely acknowledge their losses.
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Hadi has since returned with the air campaign and ground troops regaining territory the rebels had seized.
