Saada: Shia Yemenites Massacred by US-friendly Tyrant Ali Abdallah Saleh to Al Qaeda´s Great Bliss
Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis
November 29, 2008
(http://www.buzzle.com/articles/yemen-a-us-ally-specialized-in-the-persecution-of-the-opponents-of-islamic-extremism.html), I republished the first seven parts of a Report issued by HRW (under the title "Invisible Civilians") with respect to the undeservedly and incomparably tyrannized Yemenite North, and more specifically the Governorate of Saada.
There, a Shia revolution, fully supported by the entire local population, became the target of the Yemenite tyrant Ali Abdallah Saleh´s ferocity and monstrosity. With the present article, I complete the republication of the HRW Report.
Invisible Civilians
The Challenge of Humanitarian Access in Yemen´s Forgotten War
http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2008/11/18/invisible-civilians
VIII. The United Nations and International Donors
The United Nations
Security concerns throughout Yemen have placed all UN staff in the country on heightened security alert. Since the beginning of the armed conflict in 2004, UN agencies have operated in only two townsSada and Malahitin the war-torn Sada governorate.
After six months of negotiation between the World Food Program (WFP) and the government regarding access to IDP camps in Sada town, the UN in June 2007 began to provide assistance to some of the war-affected population.[151] Since then, the WFP, which chairs the UN Emergency Response and Preparedness Team, has taken the de facto lead among UN agencies in terms of service provision in Sada town, continuing to organize food distribution through its implementing partners, Islamic Relief and the Yemeni Red Crescent.
Since mid-2007, UNICEF has funded four aid agencies to carry out work in Sada towns camps.[152] Since October 2007, UNHCR has also carried out limited distribution of non-food items in Sada towns camps.[153] By July 2008, UNHCR had international staff on standby to travel and work in Sada, including in Yemeni Red Crescent-run camps, to monitor and report on humanitarian needs and other pressing issues. In the absence of other UN agencies such as the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights, which has no staff in Yemen, only UNHCR staff are available for possible full-time deployment in Sada, including during times of conflict, for identifying assistance needs and other humanitarian concerns.
In mid-July 2008 the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) sent a staff member to Yemen to improve coordination among UN agencies and between the UN and NGOs working in Sada governorate.
International Donors
Donors to Yemen, including nine European Union (EU) states, Japan, Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United States, have been reluctant to press the government on its conduct of the war and the issue of humanitarian access.[154] The main reason for this reluctance appears to be a belief that Yemens overriding challenges are securityspecifically the fight against al Qaeda, which has a strong presence in Yemenand development.[155] Despite the humanitarian suffering and the human rights emergency created by four years of war, and despite rule of law initiatives launched by some donors, to date the primary goal of the donors appears to be to stabilize the governments fragile political grip on the country, a goal which they view as incompatible with holding the authorities accountable over their conduct in the war.
This reticence to engage the government over its laws of war obligations, particularly on the question of humanitarian access, is reflected in the wording of the only public document released by the EU since the war started in 2004, a June 2008 declaration of the Council of the European Union:
The EU firmly supports the Government and people of Yemen in addressing the countrys economic, political security and social challenges. While acknowledging the need for the Government to maintain security within its borders, the EU remains concerned by the recent escalation of fighting around Sadah and the expansion of the conflict to the outskirts of Sana and other areas [and] remains ready to consider urgent humanitarian assistance to victims, including the worrying number of IDPs.[156]
The statement said nothing about violations of international humanitarian law by either government forces or the Huthis.
In June and July 2008 some EU member states and the European Commission attempted but failed to adopt a joint EU demarche on the issue of humanitarian access within Sada governorate. [157] Shortly thereafter, the US embassy brought together representatives of interested embassies, two UN agencies (WFP and UNDP, the latter as Resident Coordinator, the UNs highest representative in a country), and international NGOs to try to agree on a joint approach towards the Yemeni authorities on the issue of humanitarian access and access to medical relief. Although participants arrived at a consensus on the main parts of a written text, no agreement could be reached on the best format for approaching the authorities, in part because EU states could not agree on whether member states should present a joint front or whether member states could individually sign onto the initiative. Shortly after the question had been resolved at the EU headquarters in Brussels, President Saleh declared an end to the fifth round of fighting on July 17, 2008. [158]
IX. Recommendations
http://www.hrw.org/en/node/76086/section/11
To the government of Yemen
Treat the civilian population under its effective control, including displaced persons, in accordance with international humanitarian and human rights law, including the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement.
Facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of impartial humanitarian relief for civilians in need.
Regularly inform aid agencies which areas of Sada governorate and other war-affected governorates are under government or under Huthi control.
Publicly declare and ensure that national and international aid agencies have full and unhindered access to civilian populations unless imperative military necessity requires temporary restrictions on their movements; when access is denied, provide aid agencies with written explanations.
Facilitate, by all means possible, including clear instructions to all military checkpoints, aid agencies unimpeded access to populations in need.
End all broadly imposed restrictions on the freedom of movement of aid agencies, such as the requirement that aid agencies request permission for every trip taken out of the capital, or the prohibition on movement in rural areas.
Allow national and international aid agencies to contact community leaders to make arrangements for safe and unhindered access to populations in need, including in Huthi-controlled areas.
Because of the disproportionate harm to the civilian population and to humanitarian access, immediately and fully reinstate mobile phone network coverage in Sada governorate, except in temporary circumstances for reasons of imperative military necessity.
End any practice of collective punishment of the civilian population and discipline or prosecute as appropriate those responsible for its use.
Request that the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights send an exploratory mission to Yemen to help ensure that post-conflict reconstruction and reconciliation incorporates human rights concerns and a mechanism for accountability.
To the Huthis
Treat the civilian population under their effective control, including displaced persons, in accordance with international humanitarian law and human rights principles, including the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement.
Facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of impartial humanitarian relief for civilians in need.
Publicly declare and ensure that national and international aid agencies have full and unhindered access to civilian populations unless imperative military necessity requires temporary restrictions on their movements; when access is denied, provide aid agencies with adequate explanations.
End attacks on humanitarian personnel, vehicles and supplies, and take appropriate disciplinary action against Huthi members responsible for such attacks.
To the United Nations
Publicly as well as privately urge the government and Huthis to treat the civilian population under their effective control, including displaced persons, in accordance with international humanitarian and human rights law, including the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement.
Engage with all parties to the conflict, including the government, pro-government tribes, and the Huthis, to ensure that they facilitate the full and unimpeded humanitarian access of all UN, national and international aid agencies to civilian populations in accordance with international law.
Instruct the Resident Coordinator to pay a more active and vocal role concerning protection of IDPs and other civilians affected by conflict.
Call upon the Yemeni government to provide written explanations when it denies access to aid agencies.
Urge the Yemen government to request that the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights send an exploratory mission to Yemen to help ensure that post-conflict reconstruction and reconciliation incorporates human rights concerns and a mechanism for accountability.
To International Donors, including the European Union and its Member States, the Arab League and its Member States, and the United States
Publicly and privately urge the government and Huthis to treat the civilian population under their effective control, including displaced persons, in accordance with international humanitarian and human rights law, including the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement.
Take concerted action to press the government of Yemen to ensure that aid agencies have full and unimpeded humanitarian access to populations in need, in accordance with international law.
Include in annual reviews of aid assistance to Yemen an assessment of the governments record on ensuring that humanitarian assistance reaches the war-affected population.
Urge the Yemen government to request that the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights send an exploratory mission to Yemen to help ensure that post-conflict reconstruction and reconciliation incorporates human rights concerns and a mechanism for accountability.
Acknowledgments
http://www.hrw.org/en/node/76086/section/12
Gerry Simpson, researcher and advocate with Human Rights Watchs Refugee Program, was the lead researcher and author of this report. Christoph Wilcke, senior researcher for Human Rights Watchs Middle East and North Africa division, and Nir Rosen, consultant to the Middle East and North Africa Division, also conducted interviews and provided research. Joe Stork, deputy director of the Middle East and North Africa Division, edited the report. James Ross, legal and policy director, provided legal review. Andrew Mawson, deputy program director, provided program review. Sarah Mahmoud-Davis and Naseema Noor, interns with the Middle East and North Africa division, provided research assistance. Brent Giannotta and Nadia Barhoum, associates with the Middle East and North Africa division, prepared the report for publication. Grace Choi, director of publications, and Fitzroy Hepkins, production manager, provided additional production assistance.
Human Rights Watch thanks all interviewees from Yemeni and international human rights and humanitarian organizations who gave generously of their time. We would also like to thank the journalists, academics and others who spoke with Human Rights Watch. Many of the names of agencies and individuals who were interviewed have to be withheld because of their concern that disclosure of their identity might expose them to adverse consequences at the hands of the Yemeni authorities.
We would also like to thank the numerous political leaders and government officials who agreed to be interviewed for this report.
Finally, we wish to thank the many Yemeni victims and eyewitnesses of human rights violations who provided us with their personnel accounts of what were frequently very painful events.
Note
Picture: The administrative division of Yemen is fake, and serves only to divide tribes and ethno-religious groups, and thus facilitate the Wahhabi, extremist, Saudi-promoted tyranny of Ali Abdallah Saleh and his murderous thugs who rule only to align the country with the agenda of the colonial US – UK – Al Qaeda alliance.
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