Brussels, 01/04/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 1 April, the European Union stated that it was extremely concerned by the impact of the fighting in Yemen, “which has terrible consequences” for the population, many of whom are already living in “abject” poverty.
“The impact on the civilian population, in particular on children, of the ongoing fighting between different militias, bombardments and disruption of essential services is reaching alarming proportions and exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation”, stressed High Representative Federica Mogherini and Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid Christos Stylianides in a joint statement. “The information filtering through about civilian victims is extremely distressing”, the European External Action Service also told EUROPE. According to the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights, at least 93 civilians have been killed and 364 wounded in the country since 27 June. At least 62 children have been killed, according to UNICEF. Hundreds of people have also fled the violence in Sanaa, Sasa and Dhale.
It was “with great concern” that the EU learned of the airstrike on the Al-Mazrak camp for displaced persons, in Hajjah (north-west), on Monday 30 March. At least 40 people are believed to have been killed and 200 others injured in this camp, which is home to 4,000 people. Mogherini and Stylianides stressed that the attacks on hospitals and medical facilities by warring factions as well as the deliberate targeting and destruction of private homes, education facilities and basic infrastructure “cannot be tolerated”.
The high representative and the commissioner called on all parties to ensure the protection of civilians and avoid the direct targeting of civilian infrastructure. “All measures to ensure the respect of international humanitarian law and international human rights law should be taken”, they add, calling on all sides to give unrestricted access to humanitarians, so that they can keep delivering vital assistance to the most vulnerable.
EU repeats its calls for negotiations
“Military action is not a solution. Only a broad political consensus through negotiations can provide a stable solution” to the crisis, the EEAS reiterated, explaining that the EU and its member states share the joint aim of a rapid and peaceful return to stability in Yemen, based on broad political consensus (see EUROPE 11283). “We will continue to support all efforts to bring the Yemeni parties back to the negotiating table, on the basis of broad and inclusive participation, without preconditions and with the clear objective to reach a sustainable political compromise”, the EEAS stated. In this regard, the EU takes note of calls by the Arab League to the president of Yemen, Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, to hold a conference under the aegis of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The EU also gave its support to the declaration of United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, at the summit of the Arab League states, stating that the coalition of nine countries led by Saudi Arabia should already “establish clear guidelines for peace”.
As regards the creation of an Arab joint military force, which was announced by the members of the Arab League on 29 March, the EU stresses that it is “in favour of regional initiatives aiming to enhance the stability of the region of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)”. “We will continue to work with the League of Arab States through our existing cooperation channels”, it added. Since 2012, the EU and the secretary general of the Arab League have been committed to reinforcing the crisis management capabilities of the League and, in 2014, the foreign ministers of the EU and the Arab states agreed to an unprecedented strategic dialogue to meet the challenges of regional security, the EEAS reiterates. (Camille-Cerise Gessant)