Weapons supplied to Saudis by US, UK killed civilians in Yemen: Report

The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen has used weapons supplied to the forces solely by the United States and Britain to kill Yemeni civilians, a report says.

Oxfam charity organization reported on Wednesday that the coalition used the American and British weapons to kill at least at least 839 civilians and wounded 1,775 more in just over a year.

The 43-page report authored by Martin Butcher, Oxfam’s policy advisor on arms and conflict, stated that an analysis of attacks showed the Saudi-led forces used the western weapons in hundreds of “relentless” attacks against civilian targets in Yemen during a 14-month period from January 2021 to the end of February 2022.

The coalition attacks, 19 of which targeted medical institutions and ambulances, during this period included airstrikes by jetfighters as well as artillery, missile and drone attacks, in addition to casualties from land mines, road bombs and light arms.

“It’s just so relentless,” Butcher said. “People just find it so hard to escape the violence and the killing.”

The report also found that in the attacks the coalition used western-made cluster munitions, “weapons banned by international convention and customary law.”

Butcher called on Western governments, namely the US and the UK, to “immediately cease arms sales to Saudi Arabia for use in Yemen,” and to promote a permanent cease-fire and negotiations for a long-term settlement through its position as a member of the UN Security Council. “They’ve (the governments) really been not only arming Saudi Arabia, but also very reluctant to use their position in the Security Council to push for peace,” he said.

The United States and Britain are the main suppliers of weapons to Saudi Arabia, selling tens of billions of dollars of arms to the leaders in Riyadh.