Condemning Deadly Attack on Yemen Hospital, Secretary-General Calls Upon Parties to End Hostilities, Resolve Differences through Talks

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General condemns the attack from an as-yet unknown source on a hospital supported by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Sa’ada Province, Yemen, which killed at least four people and injured many others today.

He expresses his sincere condolences and deepest sympathies to the families of the victims and the Yemeni people.  This is the latest in a series of attacks on health facilities, following those in 2015 on the MSF-supported Haydan Medical Hospital in Sa’ada and a mobile health clinic in Taiz.

The Secretary-General is extremely concerned about the increasingly limited access to essential health-care services for Yemenis.  He emphasizes that hospitals and medical personnel are explicitly protected under international humanitarian law and that any intentional attack against civilians and civilian infrastructure is considered a serious violation of international humanitarian law.  As in the case of other attacks in Yemen affecting civilians and civilian infrastructure, this incident should be investigated through prompt, effective, independent and impartial mechanisms to ensure accountability.

The Secretary-General again repeats his call on all parties involved in the Yemeni conflict to immediately cease all hostilities and resolve differences through peaceful negotiations facilitated by his Special Envoy.