UN, Saudis work to resolve row over child blacklist

The United Nations expects the Saudi-led coalition bombing Yemen to take concrete measures in the coming weeks to address UN alarm over the deaths of children in the war, the UN spokesman said Thursday.

Saudi Arabia reacted angrily when the coalition was added to a UN "list of shame" of child rights violators in June, demanding to be taken off.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon accused the Saudis of threatening to cut off funding to UN aid programs and agreed to remove the coalition from the list pending a review.

That review is due to come up in the Security Council on August 2.

"We hope that in advance of the debate on August 2, the coalition will be able to provide us with some information on the concrete actions they have taken," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

Saudi Foreign Minister Abel al-Jubeir met with Ban at UN headquarters on Thursday to discuss the situation in Yemen just as peace talks were scheduled to resume in Kuwait on Friday.

During the meeting, Jubeir said the coalition was ready to take "the necessary concrete measures to end and prevent violations against children," Dujarric said.

Jubeir told reporters that the coalition was waging its air campaign "with great care in order to avoid damages to civilians and in particular children."

"We have explained this to the United Nations and our dialogue is ongoing," he added.

A UN official, speaking on background, said the row could be resolved if Riyadh takes action on three fronts: "big movement" in the Yemen peace talks, procedures to lessen civilian casualties and remedial measures.

The United Nations had blacklisted the coalition after concluding in a report that it was responsible for 60 percent of the 785 children's deaths in Yemen last year.

The coalition launched an air campaign in support of Yemen's President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi in March 2015 to push back Huthi rebels after they seized the capital Sanaa and many parts of the country.

The war has killed some 6,400 people and exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in the impoverished country, according to the United Nations.

Source: AFP