GENEVA (Sputnik) — Since the beginning of Saudi-led operation, the conflict in Yemen has claimed the lives of 364 civilians, including at least 84 children and 25 women, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein said Tuesday.
More than 681 civilians have been injured since March 26.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed regret over “such a heavy civilian death toll” and called for investigations into civilian casualties.
“The parties to the conflict are obliged to ensure that international humanitarian law and international human rights law are scrupulously respected and that the civilian population is protected. Any suspected breach of international law must be urgently investigated with a view to ensuring victims’ right to justice and redress and to ensure that such incidents do not recur,” Zeid said.
On April 8, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that since March 19 a total of 643 people had been killed and 2,226 injured in Yemen.
According to the WHO data, over 334,000 people have been displaced while more than 254,000 have been registered as refugees as a result of violent clashes in the crisis-hit Arab country.
Yemen is suffering from a violent conflict between the Houthi rebel group and the government forces. The Shiite Houthis took control of the country's capital Sanaa, forcing elected president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi to flee the country.
In March, a coalition headed by Saudi Arabia launched a military operation against Houthi rebel positions in Yemen, at the request of president Hadi.
After the Saudi-led coalition began conducting airstrikes on Yemen, the death toll climbed rapidly.
