World

UN rights chief warns against Saudi-led attack on Yemen port

A Saudi-led military coalition backing the globally-recognised government in its war against the Houthi

Reuters May 01, 2017

zeid ra 039 ad al hussein un high commissioner for human rights attends the 34th session of the human rights council at the european headquarters of the united nations in geneva switzerland february 27 2017 photo reuters

Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights attends the 34th session of the Human Rights Council at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, February 27, 2017. PHOTO: REUTERS

The United Nations is continuing to receive signals that the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen could attack the key port of Hodeidah, causing humanitarian suffering and loss of life, UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein said on Monday.

A Saudi-led military coalition backing the internationally-recognised government in its war against the Houthi rebels has been preparing an assault on Hodeidah.

Saudi-led coalition calls for UN supervision of Yemen port

"The UN is concerned about the humanitarian repercussions of such an attack in terms of inflaming the humanitarian crisis even further, let alone our concerns about loss of civilian life were there to be a large-scale attack on port," Zeid told a news conference in Geneva.

Last week Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr repeated allegations that the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels were smuggling weapons into Yemen through Hodeidah and said his government preferred UN supervision of the port rather than an attack.