United Nations: A confidential UN report has concluded Iran-backed Al Houthi rebels used civilians as shields to avoid attacks.
The actions amount to violations of international humanitarian law, according to the report by a panel of experts obtained by AFP on Thursday.
“The panel has documented violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law committed by Al Houthi-Saleh forces,” said the report presented to the Security Council.
Al Houthis have allied themselves with supporters of ousted Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
In Taiz province, Al Houthi rebels have concealed their fighters and equipment near or in civilian areas “with the deliberate aim of avoiding attack,” said the report.
“In doing so, Al Houthis almost certainly deliberately endanger and expose the civilian population and civilian objects to the perils of conflict,” it added.
The report showed a photograph of a tank parked at Taiz University and said it was investigating several reports of civilian sites used as shields.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s Al Qaida franchise, Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), has upgraded its bomb-making capabilities and could wage a “sustained IED (improvised explosive device) campaign” of attacks, the report said.
The first suicide attack using the refined bomb technique was recorded in Aden on May 1.
AQAP and the local branch of Daesh are competing for recruits in Yemen.
In March and April, Daesh received a significant influx of cash in Yemen, which it is using to attract recruits, finance operations and purchase equipment, said the report, without providing figures.
While the war grinds on, Yemen’s Central Bank is suffering a major hemorrhage of cash.
About $100 million per month is being diverted to support Al Houthis, who have gained access to the reserves, said the report.
Yemen’s foreign reserves have dwindled from about $4 billion in November 2014 to their current critical level of $1.3 billion.
