Arab League says UN report on Yemen requires more accuracy

The Arab League confirmed that the annual report of the UN Secretary-General on the situation of children in the context of armed conflict and its allegations on the Arab Coalition Countries to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen's violations against children during the armed conflict in Yemen needed more accuracy, investigation and research.

Commenting on the report today, Mahmoud Afifi, official spokesman of the Secretary-General of the Arab League, said that with full appreciation for the great importance of this report as it deals with violations against children in the context of armed conflict as one of the groups that enjoy special protection under international humanitarian law and international human rights law, the matter required a more accurate approach by the authors of the report in monitoring, recording and documenting the alleged violations by Arab Coalition in Yemen, bearing in mind that the various complexities of the situation in Yemen and the responsibility of the coup militias for a large number of violations that have occurred in general, makes it important to refer to the legitimate government in Yemen as the main source for obtaining information and data in this regard.

Afifi added that the severe and continuing deterioration in the humanitarian and living conditions of the Yemeni people also requires, first of all, practical steps to mobilise the necessary efforts to address these situations as soon as possible and that one of the main elements of this move should be a constructive and sound dialogue between the international community and the Legitimate Government and its allies.

He stressed the need not to overlook the great efforts made by the Arab Coalition over the last years to deal with these difficult situations and help the Yemeni people, including, for example, the work of the King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Action, in the protection of Yemeni children in the context of armed conflict and rehabilitation of child soldiers.