UNITED NATIONS A United Nations body has called on Saudi Arabia to immediately halt its deadly air raids against civilians in war-torn Yemen and prosecute officials responsible for child casualties due to unlawful attacks.
The statement by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child on Thursday also said the investigative mechanism set up by the Saudi-UAE coalition to probe the bombing of a school bus in Yemens Sadaa in August was not credible.
The air attack, which killed 51 people, including 40 children, sparked widespread international condemnation and calls for an independent investigation.
We asked them to put a halt immediately to these air strikes, Clarence Nelson, panel vice-chair, told reporters.
Nearly 20 percent of the deaths of civilians are children. So thats one in five civilians killed is a child under 18. Thats a lot of children, Nelson said.
The Saudi-UAE coalition fighting Yemens Houthi rebels told the child rights panel of 18 independent experts last week that it was working to correct mistaken targeting by its military alliance, but the experts expressed doubt.
At least 1,248 children had been killed and nearly the same number wounded in air attacks since March 2015, according to UN figures.
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