#Yemen has been embroiled in a catastrophic #civilwar ever since the #Houthi takeover of the government in Sana'a on 21 September 2014. The Houthi group, an Iranian-backed movement in Yemen, has previously launched cross-border missile and drone attacks on #SaudiArabia but has rarely carried out such military operations against the #UAE until this Monday.
The latest Saudi-led coalition airstrikes on the capital Sana'a respond to the "Houthi-claimed terrorist attacks on the United Arab Emirates," in the words of the #UK foreign secretary Liz Truss. This operation resulted in 3 civilian casualties and six more wounded and fires in #AbuDhabi International #Airport, the neighbouring Musaffah industrial area, and oil storing facilities. After the events, the UAE's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation stated that "[t]he UAE reserves the right to respond to these #terrorist attacks and criminal escalation."
The perceived rights of the UAE to retaliate against Houthi-controlled Yemen have resulted in 20 additional deaths since Monday. #UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his concern and deplored the airstrikes in Sana'a. "He reminds all parties of their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians, adhering to the principles of proportionality, distinction and precaution," - according to the statement released by the UN Spokesperson's Office.
We, at Rethinking Refugees, second the Secretary-General's call for both sides to "exercise maximum restraint and prevent further escalation and intensification of the conflict." We lament the casualties on both sides and urge all of you to support our appeal to end the conflict in Yemen instead of ending more lives.
Stop the #war, don't stop the people.