Parliament’s International Development Committee says
evidence is "overwhelming" the Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi
rebels has violated humanitarian law.
In a letter to International Development Secretary Justine
Greening, the committee said the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia had risen
"significantly" during the conflict.
"We are shocked that the UK government can continue to
claim that there have been no breaches of humanitarian law by the coalition and
not only continue sales of arms to Saudi Arabia but significantly increase them
since the start of the coalition intervention into Yemen," said the
cross-party committee. "We are convinced that there is more than a clear risk
that weapons sold to Saudi Arabia might be used in the commission of serious
violations of international humanitarian law. The evidence that we have heard
is overwhelming that the Saudi-led coalition has committed violations of
international law, using equipment supplied by the UK."
Andrew Smith of Campaign Against Arms Trade said: “The humanitarian
crisis in Yemen is getting worse. 14 million Yemeni people are facing food
insecurity and 1.4 million children are acutely malnourished,” he said. “At the
same time, arms dealers that are profiting from the devastation will be
swilling champagne and sitting down to dinner with many of the politicians that
support them.”
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