Arab coalition condemns UN report on Children and Armed Conflict

Col. Turki bin Saleh Al-Maliki Arab coalition spokeperson. (SPA)

RIYADH: The Arab coalition working to restore legitimacy in Yemen has released a statement in response to the UN’s Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict, released Friday.
The coalition acknowledged that the UN report had added it to a list of bodies and states that had taken measures to improve the protection of children. The report also praised the coalition’s cooperation with the UN, according to the coalition’s statement.
The coalition expressed appreciation toward UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who expressed his wish to continue cooperating with the coalition in order to promote child protection. However, the coalition denied and condemned other claims made in the report.
The coalition stated that the release of such claims impacts the credibility of the UN report and condemned the misinformation that was delivered to the UN, which the coalition says deflects attention away from the crimes committed by the Houthis and those loyal to Ali Abdullah Saleh. The coalition stressed its wish to abide by international laws and standards to protect civilians and keep them safe by ensuring precaution and vigilance.
The coalition ascertained that the unfortunate consequences of this conflict are a result of the actions of Houthis and Saleh loyalists and their apparent decision to use children as human shields and militants, which is a flagrant violation of international laws. The coalition requested that the UN report be corrected and it also called upon the UN to continue its cooperation in order to promote the safety and protection of children. The coalition also invited the UN to hold the Houthis and Saleh loyalists accountable for crimes against children in Yemen.
According to the coalition, if it had not been for the Iranian intervention in Yemen and the coup instigated by Houthis and Saleh loyalists, threats to neighboring countries and Hezbollah and Iran-backed missiles launched at Saudi Arabia, the conflict in Yemen would not have begun. The coalition stressed its willingness to keep helping the Yemeni people by maintaining stability in the region.