A military coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, backed and supported by the US and Britain, bombed a newly constructed cholera treatment center in Yemen this week.
The cholera treatment center was operated by the humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders who said in a statement that the building had markings on the roof clearly identifying it as a healthcare facility.
Yemen, the poorest country in the Middle East, has suffered the worst cholera outbreak in recorded history, with more than 1 million cases reported in 2017 alone.
BYPASS THE CENSORS
Sign up to get unfiltered news delivered straight to your inbox.
You can unsubscribe any time. By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use
Common Dreams reports: After the international humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières on Monday announced that a newly constructed cholera treatment center in Yemen was bombed on Monday, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.)—who has led the fight in the U.S. Senate to end the U.S. military’s key role in assisting Saudi Arabia’s assault on its war-torn and poverty-stricken neighbor—lashed out in disgust and anger on social media.
The Yemen War is spiraling out of control. The Saudi/UAE/U.S. coalition bombed a Doctors Without Borders cholera treatment facility earlier today.
Let me repeat that – the U.S helped bomb A DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS CHOLERA TREATMENT FACILITY.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) June 11, 2018
According to MSF, the clinic in the city of Abs was empty at the time and no patients or medical personnel were injured or killed in the attack, but the building—which the group says was clearly marked on its roof as a healthcare facility—is now completely non-functional and operations have now been suspended in the area.
“This morning’s attack on an MSF cholera treatment center (CTC) by the Saudi and Emirati-led coalition (SELC) shows complete disrespect for medical facilities and patients,” declared João Martins, MSF’s head of mission in Yemen. “Whether intentional or a result of negligence, it is totally unacceptable. The compound was clearly marked as a health facility and its coordinates were shared with the SELC. With only half of health facilities in Yemen fully functional, nearly 10 million people in acute need, and an anticipated outbreak of cholera, the CTC had been built to save lives. MSF has temporarily frozen its activities in Abs until the safety of its staff and patients is guaranteed.”
#MSF has temporarily frozen its activities in #Abs #Yemen until we guarantee the safety of our staff and patients.”¨João Martins, MSF’s Head of Mission #Yemen pic.twitter.com/H7WhLrtaJt
— MSF Yemen (@msf_yemen) June 11, 2018
Niamh Harris
Be the first to comment