UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, Megan Burke, director at the International Campaign to Ban Landmines-Cluster Munition Coalition reported that most of the types of the cluster munitions that had been used by the Saudi-led coalition, involved in the Yemeni war, had been produced in the United States.
"Based on official US statements we have come to the conclusion that the US in fact may be a party to the conflict because of how extensive their support [to the coalition] appears to be both in terms of targeting, refueling planes in the air, providing weapons of course. That may in fact make the US complicit in some of the violations that we have documented," Philippe Bolopion, deputy director for global advocacy at Human Rights Watch (HRW) said.
Yemen has been engulfed in a military conflict between the government headed by Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and Shiite Houthi rebels, who have been supported by army units loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Since late March 2015, the Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out airstrikes against Houthi positions at Hadi's request.
