Saudi Arabia used US-made bomb to destroy Yemen hospital: Amnesty
Amnesty International says Saudi military aircraft pounded a hospital in Yemen’s northwestern province of Hajjah with a US-built bomb last month, calling on the United States and Britain to stop selling munitions to Riyadh and its allies in the war against conflict-ridden Yemen.
According to the London-based rights watchdog, a “US-made precision-guided Paveway-series aerial bomb” was used in the deadly August 15 attack against the Abs hospital, which was supported by the international medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), or Doctors Without Borders.
The MSF says the assault left 19 people, including one of its staff members, dead and several others injured.
According to MSF, there were 23 patients in surgery, 25 in maternity ward, as well as 13 newborns and 12 patients in pediatrics wards at the time of the bombing.
“It is outrageous that states have continued to supply the Saudi Arabia-led coalition with weapons, including guided and general purpose aerial bombs and combat aircraft,” Philip Luther, Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Amnesty International, said.
He added that there is “stark evidence that those arms are being used to attack hospitals and other civilian objects and in other serious violations of international humanitarian law.”
“This attack highlights, yet again, the desperate need for a comprehensive embargo on all weapons that could be used by any of the warring parties in Yemen and for an international investigation to bring those responsible for unlawful attacks to justice,” Luther pointed out.
Meanwhile, Saudi military aircraft have reportedly carried out at least 71 fresh airstrikes against various targets in Yemen.
Early on Monday, Saudi fighter jets conducted three attacks against the National Security building in Sarf area, four on Naqil Yaslah region, four on Sanhan area, four against Sawd region and a single attack against Nihm district in Yemen's western-central province of Sana'a.
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