Saudi Airstrikes to Blame for Two-Thirds of Civilian Deaths in Yemen - UN

At least 168 civilians were killed in Yemen in February 2016, with approximately two-thirds of the deaths caused by Saudi-led coalition airstrikes, the UN Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR) said Friday.

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) — According to UN estimates, 3,081 civilians have been killed and 5,733 injured since the beginning of the Saudi-led bombardment in March 2015.

"During February, a total of at least 168 civilians were killed and 193 injured, around two-thirds of them by Coalition airstrikes. In the country as a whole, 117 civilians were killed and another 129 wounded as a result of airstrikes, with the largest number of casualties (99) attributed to airstrikes hitting the capital, Sanaa," OHCHR spokesman Rupert Colville said.

The OHCHR pointed out that there also were "worrying allegations" that Saudi-led coalition forces had dropped cluster bombs on a mountainous area to the south of the Amran cement factory, where Houthi rebels reportedly have a stronghold.

Yemen has been engulfed in a military conflict between the government and Houthi rebels for over a year. Since March 2015, a Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out airstrikes against Houthi positions at the request of Yemen's President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.

The rising death toll among the civilian population prompted the United Nations to mediate a ceasefire between the Saudi coalition and the Houthis in December for the time of the intra-Yemeni talks in Geneva, although hostilities have continued.

According to Yemen’s Health Ministry, the bombardments have so far killed more than 7,000 people and injured more than 16,500.