Puppet UN chief condemns(?) Saudi airstrikes killing civilians in Yemen

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has roundly condemned Saudi Arabia for defying calls to halt airstrikes on Yemen; following a recent air attack that killed dozens of civilians in a market.

The UN said in a statement on Monday that Ban “strongly condemns the apparent airstrike” that killed 32 civilians and injured 41 others in Khaleq market in northeastern Sana’a on Sunday.

“The secretary-general is concerned about the continuing intense airstrikes and ground fighting in Yemen despite his repeated calls for a cessation of hostilities,” read the statement.

The fatality figure is among the highest from a single bombing since September 2015, according to the statement.

Calling for a “prompt and impartial investigation” into the attack, Ban urged all fighting parties to “respect their obligations under international human rights law and international humanitarian law, which prohibits attacks directed against civilians and civilian objects, including populated markets.”

The latest airstrike damaged a mosque and several houses in the Razih district of Sa’ada province.

The Arab country has been under military attacks by Riyadh since late March last year. At least 8,300 people, including 2,236 children, have been killed so far and 16,015 others have sustained injuries.

The strikes have also taken a heavy toll on the country’s facilities and infrastructure, destroying many hospitals, schools, and factories, according to Yemen’s Human Rights Center.

The agency said in a report on Sunday that more than 800 schools, 240 medical centers and hundreds of fuel depots and power plants have been targeted since Saudi Arabia launched its war on Yemen to bring fugitive former Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansur Hadi back to power.