Nineteen children are among the civilians killed in an attack last Saturday in northern Yemen, the UN children's agency, UNICEF, said on Thursday.
According to the United Nations, at least 31 civilians were killed in air raids on Saturday, following the crash of a Saudi military coalition fighter plane engaged against the Houthi rebels in the war in Yemen.
Read also: In Yemen, a fragile glimmer of hope to end the war
" Unicef regrets to confirm that the attack on Al-Jawf, in northern Yemen, on February 15, claimed the lives of 19 children (eight boys and eleven girls) and injured 18 others (nine boys and nine girls), "the UN agency said in its statement.
" It was an attack on an area inhabited by civilians, including many children, " Juliette Touma, regional communications manager for UNICEF, told AFP. " The worrying escalation of violence in recent weeks is a brutal reminder that the children of Yemen continue to bear the brunt of the conflict, " said UNICEF in its statement.
The United Nations Children's Fund reiterated its call to all parties to the conflict to " protect the lives of children ", stressing that " the daily suffering of children in Yemen must not be forgotten or passed over in silence ".
Read also: Climate, health, junk food: no country in the world really protects children
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement that " 31 civilians were killed and 12 injured " in the attack on Saturday.
After the crash, rebel organ al-Massirah television reported multiple strikes by the military coalition against Al-Hayjah, a rebel-held region in Jawf province, where residents were " gathered around debris from the downed plane ”. In a statement, the Ryad-led coalition admitted " the possibility of collateral damage " during a " search and rescue " operation at the crash site.
According to various humanitarian organizations, the war in Yemen has claimed tens of thousands of lives, mostly civilians. 24.1 million, more than two-thirds of the population, are in need of assistance, according to the UN.
Read also: Iran continues to seek to deliver arms to Houthis, Pentagon says
The protagonists in Yemen have been accused of committing blunders that cost the lives of civilians. The coalition announced this week the start of legal proceedings against its soldiers suspected of blunder during attacks in this country where the UN has deplored war crimes.
