Airstrikes on Refugee Camp in Yemen Kill At Least 29 Civilians - UN

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) — At least 29 civilians were killed and 41 injured in Yemen as a result of Monday's airstrikes on a camp for internally displaced people, the UN's Humanitarian Coordinator for the country said Tuesday.

On March 25, a Saudi-led coalition began airstrikes against Houthi militants currently in control of large parts of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa.

"Humanitarian partners and local residents have confirmed that air strikes bombarded Al Mazraq area of Hajjah Governorate yesterday [Monday] morning, hitting a camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and surrounding civilian infrastructure. According to initial reports from the World Health Organization, these strikes killed at least 29 people and injured 41 – all of whom appear to be civilians," Johannes Van Der Klaauw said in a statement.

Van Der Klaauw specified that among the injured there were 14 children and 11 women, adding that "casualty figures are likely to rise as bodies are retrieved from the camp and additional injury reports are verified."

Earlier on Tuesday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said he was "shocked" by Monday's airstrike against the Al-Mazraq camp.

Van Der Klaauw elaborated that nearly 1,100 families were living in the Al Mazraq camps before Monday's events and were among the most vulnerable people in Yemen. These families fled a number of conflicts in Sa'ada in north-western Yemen from 2004 to 2010 and are now forced to flee again, he added.

The ongoing Saudi Arabia-led coalition's military operation aims to defeat the Houthis, who are supporters of ex-Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh, and restore ousted president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi's government to power.