Yemenis Suffer "Silent Deaths" as Saudi Arabia Refuses Human Rights Probe in Deadly US-Backed War

AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. I’m Amy Goodman, as we turn now to the US-backed Saudi bombing campaign in Yemen that’s been raging for three years, killing more than 10,000 civilians in the Arab world’s poorest country. The conflict has ravaged the Yemen’s infrastructure, stripped the country of social services, triggered a massive cholera outbreak.

Now there are growing calls from around the world for the creation of an independent probe into human rights violations committed by both sides, and this week the U.N. Human Rights Council is slated to vote on a resolution to launch an investigation sponsored by the Netherlands, Canada, Luxembourg, Belgium and Ireland. Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports Saudi Arabia responded to the proposal with threats, sending a letter to two of the sponsoring countries that said if independent investigators are sent to Yemen, it could negatively affect trade and diplomatic ties with the wealthy kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Well, for more, we’re joined by Radhya Al-Mutwakel, chairwoman of the Yemeni NGOMwatana Organization for Human Rights. In May, she became the first representative of Yemeni civilian society to brief the U.N. Security Council on the war in Yemen. She’s also calling for the establishment of this international commission.

Radhya, welcome to Democracy Now! Tell us what you’re calling for and talk about the international probe that’s been proposed by a number of countries, being opposed by the country that’s bombing Yemen right now, Saudi Arabia.

RADHYA AL-MUTAWAKEL: Yeah. For the first — this is the first year that — since 2012, that NGOs and some countries are trying to push for the international independent inquiry, but it never happens, not because the situation in Yemen doesn’t deserve such a tool, but because Saudis, they don’t want such thing to be happened. So, it’s a very negative message. It’s just like a green light for all parties of the conflict, not only…

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