Media Home
UN Web TV
UN Audiovisual Library
UN PhotoOHCHR / YEMEN REAX
Download
There is no media available to download.
Share
STORY: OHCHR / YEMEN REAX
TRT: 01:51
SOURCE: OHCHR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 10 OCTOBER 2016, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / RECENT
RECENT – SANAA, YEMEN
1. Zoom out, still shot of hole at community centre
10 OCTOBER 2016, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Mohamed Kheir, Human Rights Officer, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“The High Commissioner has, for two years in a row, called on the Human Rights Council to establish an international and independent investigative body and unfortunately, for two years in a row, the Council has fallen short on establishing such a body. Instead, they have adopted resolutions, which in our judgement are not commensurate with the gravity of the situation on the ground.
RECENT – SANAA, YEMEN
3. Zoom in, still shot of photographer taking photo of hole in ground
10 OCTOBER 2016, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Mohamed Kheir, Human Rights Officer, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“The decision by the Council to dismiss the calls of the High Commissioner has contributed to a climate of impunity in Yemen.”
RECENT – SANAA, YEMEN
5. Still shot, damaged building
10 OCTOBER 2016, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Mohamed Kheir, Human Rights Officer, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“Since the failure of the Kuwait peace talks a few months back, the conflict has essentially been re-established once again in Yemen. And this weekend we have seen at least two airstrikes hit a funeral of the father of a senior figure, a senior political figure in Yemen, and the funeral site was hosting over a thousand people. Therefore, the number of casualties that have been so far recorded will most likely rise in the coming days and probably hours.”
RECENT – SANAA, YEMEN
7. Zoom out, still shot of damaged community centre tent
The United Nations human rights office (OHCHR) said its chief described the attack on a funeral in the Yemeni capital Sana’a as “outrageous” and called for an investigation into alleged violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in the country.
OHCHR human rights officer Mohamed Kheir said High Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein had called on the Human Rights Council for two years now to establish an independent investigative body on the Yemeni conflict and the decision by the Council to “dismiss” those calls had contributed to “a climate of impunity” in the country.
Khier said this weekend “at least two airstrikes” hit a site where “over a thousand people” were attending the funeral of a senior political figure’s father in Yemen. He said the number of casualties that have been so far recorded would “most likely rise in the coming days and probably hours.”
OHCHR said, according to eyewitness testimony, hospital records, and other information gathered by UN Human Rights staff, two airstrikes, about seven to eight minutes apart, hit the packed Al Kubra hall in Sana’a on Saturday afternoon. OHCHR said witnesses described a hall packed with families, including children. It said a large number of political and military leaders affiliated with the Houthis and former president Saleh were among those present, and many were killed.
OHCHR said more than 4,000 people have been killed since the conflict began in March 2015. It said the first ten days of October alone had witnessed 369 civilians killed. In a statement, UN human rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said the conflict in Yemen witnessed “massive civilian casualties and zero accountability for those responsible.”
