US Senators Slam Pompeo's Approval of Military Aid to Saudi Arabia, UAE

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US Secretary of State Secretary Mike Pompeo must address concerns regarding his approval of military aid to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, seven senators said in a letter.

"We are skeptical a certification that the two Governments have undertaken demonstrable actions to reduce the harm to civilians is warranted when the Saudi coalition has failed to adopt some US recommendations while civilian deaths and casualties due to coalition airstrikes have increased dramatically in recent months," the letter said on Wednesday. The lawmakers called on Pompeo to hand over data on the increase in civilian casualties, among other requests, by October 31.

Last month, despite a UN report that accused the Saudi-led coalition of being responsible for some 16,000 deaths in Yemen, Pompeo certified to Congress that the coalition was limiting civilian casualties in the conflict, paving the way for more US military aid.

The letter was signed by Senators Chris Murphy, Todd Young, Jeanne Shaheen, Susan Collins, Chris Coons, Jerry Moran and Jeff Merkley.

Yemen has been gripped by a civil war with the government headed by Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi fighting the Houthi movement. The government is backed by the Saudi-led coalition, which has been carrying out airstrikes targeted at the areas controlled by the Houthis since March 2015.

READ MORE: Saudi-led Coalition Strikes Navy School in Yemen's Hodeidah — Reports