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Death toll from airstrikes against Yemeni village reaches 30, including children: UNHC

Xinhua, September 13, 2016 Adjust font size:

The death toll from the Saudi-led coalition airstrikes against a village in Yemen's capital Sanaa rose to 30, including two children, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator (UNHC) in Yemen said in a statement on Monday.

Furthermore, 17 others were injured, according to Jamie McGoldrick's statement.

On Saturday, the Saudi-led coalition warplanes bombed a water-drilling well site in the village of Bait Sa'dan in the district of Arhab, 50 km north of Sanaa, killing at least 10 civilians and wounding many others.

The fighter jets then continued its aerial assault as village residents rushed to the scene, killing and wounding many more.

Several mudbrick-constructed high-rise buildings beside the targeted water well site were also damaged, according to witnesses.

This is the latest in a series of airstrikes against civilians in Yemen, triggering widespread criticism against the Saudi-led military coalition.

On Thursday, the coalition warplanes killed nine civilians from three families, including four children, in Yemen's northern province of Amran, 60 km north of Sanaa.

"I remain deeply disturbed by the unrelenting attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure throughout Yemen by all parties, which are further destroying Yemen's social fabric and increasing humanitarian needs, particularly for medical attention at a time when the health sector is collapsing," McGoldrick said.

McGoldrick called on all parties involved to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law, to recommit to the April 10 Cessation of Hostilities and to "support the initiatives of the UN Special Envoy for Yemen."

The military Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia has been targeting Shiite Houthi armed groups and allied troops loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh since 2015, after they exiled the Saudi-backed internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

The coalition intervened with air military campaigns aiming to prevent rebels from controlling the country and to restore the government.

The UN-sponsored peace talks between Yemeni rival factions collapsed last month.

However, UN Envoy Ismail Ould Chiekh Ahmed said this week that Yemeni parties agreed to resume negotiations to end the war.

The United Nations said at least 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in airstrikes and battles since 2015, and about three million civilians have been displaced. Endit