UN Blames Int'l Community for Being Silent About Casualties in Yemen

As more civilians die in the war conflict in Yemen, the UN special advisers expressed concern over the virtual silence of the international community about the threat to populations in the country.

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) — The UN special advisers criticized on Tuesday the international community for being too silent about the threat to civilians in increased attacks in conflict-torn Yemen.

Earlier in the week, at least 27 people, mainly women and children, were killed in two separate airstrikes by the Saudi-led international coalition in Yemen.

"The UN Special Advisers on the Prevention of Genocide, Adama Dieng, and on the Responsibility to Protect, Jennifer Welsh, expressed concern at the ever increasing impact on civilians of the ongoing conflict in Yemen, and the virtual silence of the international community about the threat to populations," the UN said in a statement.

Yemen has been engulfed in a military conflict between Houthis, the country’s main opposition faction, and government forces.

In late March, the Saudi Arabia-led coalition of nine Arab states began an aerial campaign against Houthi positions in Yemen at the request of the country's president-in-exile Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.

According to United Nations estimates, at least 2,204 civilians were killed in the ongoing conflict.