UN says 180 Yemeni civilians killed in August

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Friday expressed "deep concern" over increasing attacks against civilians in Yemen with a total of 180 civilians killed in August, raising the civilian death toll to nearly 4000 since March 2015.

The UN agency said in a statement that August also marked an increase in the number of attacks against civilian facilities including hospitals, markets, and places of worship.

The statement came only two days after the Saudi-led coalition bombed houses in the Red Sea port city of Hodeida, killing at least 32 civilians.

Meanwhile, Houthi rebels have continued to tighten their siege on the city of Taiz, where they are fighting local forces aligned with the internationally-recognised government.

“In the light of the high civilian casualty numbers and the terrible suffering of the civilian population, we urge all parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law, including their obligation to respect the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution,” the UN agency said.

A Yemeni government official said Wednesday’s airstrikes that struck residential neighbourhoods in Hodeida and that killed Women and children were "probably hit in error."

However coalition spokesman General Ahmed Assiri, a key ally of Yemen’s government, said rebel leaders had been the target of the air raids.

Despite Yemen’s confirmation of civilian deaths, Assiri said the alliance had no information on casualties because it is not present on the ground there.

Last week, a study found that more than a third of all airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen have hit civilian sites, including school buildings, hospitals, markets and mosques.

The findings of the survey, which was conducted by the Yemen Data Project, run contrary to claims by Riyadh that the coalition is diligently avoiding civilian casualties. 

According to the United Nations, more than 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen since the start of the Saudi-led coalition's bombing campaign 18 months ago.