International Powers Shield Saudi Arabia from Human Rights Investigations Despite Alleged War Atrocities
In the war-torn nation of Yemen, airstrikes by coalition warplanes, some of which are built in the United Kingdom and drop Paveway missiles produced by American arms firm Raytheon, remain constant. This ongoing conflict has raised significant questions over British arms sales and the role of military advisors supporting the coalition, due to alleged violations of international law.
The United Nations (UN) has deemed the crisis in Yemen a "humanitarian catastrophe." According to the UN, 82 percent of the Yemeni population, which is 21.2 million people, are in urgent need of humanitarian aid, including 10 million children.
The devastation of Yemen's infrastructure is evident. At least 174 schools have been totally destroyed by airstrikes, and another 611 have been so badly damaged they are unsafe for use. More than 1,500 schools have been forced to close because they were not secure.
The human toll of the conflict is also alarming. More than 700 children have been killed in Yemen since last March, and at least another 1,100 have been injured.
The U.S. and the U.K., as parties to the armed conflict in Yemen, are obligated to investigate alleged violations of the laws of war. U.S. officials have acknowledged reports of civilian casualties in Yemen but did not accept direct responsibility for collateral damage resulting from coalition airstrikes.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has reported that Saudi Arabia used U.S.-made cluster bombs on civilians in Yemen, and concluded that the Saudi-led coalition was responsible for cluster munitions attacks in the country. Each CBU-58 cluster bomb contains 650 submunitions.
The British government sold $1.4 billion worth of bombs, missiles, and rockets to Saudi Arabia last summer. The Scottish National Party (SNP) has been calling for the U.K. government to investigate allegations of war crimes in Yemen and suspend arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
The SNP is not alone in its concerns. The Belgian government has suspended arms sales to Saudi Arabia due to allegations regarding the conflict in Yemen.
Despite these concerns, the U.K. government maintains that it takes its arms export responsibilities very seriously and operates one of the "most robust arms export control regimes" in the world. The U.K. government also supports the Saudi-led coalition military intervention in Yemen and is providing substantial humanitarian assistance to the Yemeni people.
The largest provider of humanitarian aid funding for Yemen has been the United Nations and its affiliated agencies, such as UNHCR, which required $305 million in 2025; this aid is chronically underfunded but remains the core source of humanitarian support.
British MPs were told that 207 civilian structures had been targeted by coalition airstrikes, including mosques, hospitals, and warehouses. Despite these reports, the U.K. government continues to support the coalition, raising questions about its commitment to upholding international law and protecting civilian lives in Yemen.
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