UNITED NATIONS: The Saudi air strikes in Yemen have killed some 1,248 children during conflict that has been highlighted by a UN human rights committee which urged Saudi Arabia to “put an end to the air stri­kes” against its southern neighbour.

The recommendation was addres­sed to Saudi Arabia by the UN Com­m­ittee on the rights of the Child, which also issued concluding observations on Benin, El Salva­dor, Lao People’s Demo­­cra­tic Republic, Mauritania and Niger.

Each country is a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which has two optional protocols: involvement of children in armed conflict and the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.

Every four years, member states are expected to provide an update to the UN on their activities and progress relating to these international accords.

In a statement, the 18-member UN panel noted that Saudi Arabia was involved in the Yemen conflict as the leader of an internationally-backed coalition “to restore legitimacy” there.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2018