Geneva -  Sam Organization for Rights and Liberties said in a statement that August was a bloody month on civilians in Yemen, where SAM has documented several airstrikes and bombings on civilian areas, causing scores of killings and injured civilians, in Hodiedah, Hajjah, Taiz, and recently in Sa’da where the coalition fighters struck a bus carrying children, and killed tens of them, and other civilians in the market, which is considered as “war crime, and gross violations to the international law that can’t justified”, according to SAM.

According to eyewitnesses and reports SAM received; the air raid took place on Thursday 10 a.m. 9 August 2018, in Dahyan market, when the Saudi-led coalition aircraft attacked bus carrying more than 30 children, who were in a summer camp for teaching Quran.

The children were in their way on a trip organized by the camp in Majz district and was attacked by a missile when arrived Dahyan market. The shrapnel also hit many pedestrians and shopkeepers.

Houthis controlled, ministry of health said in a recent report that the attack killed 47, mostly children, and inured 77 others majority sustained serious injuries.

Colonel Turki Al-Maleki, spokesperson of the Coalition forces, confirmed coalition’s responsibility for the attack, however justified that as “an attack on Houthis elements existed in the area”, and he held Houthis accountable for presenting them (the children) in the targeted area, which a civilian area.

Tawfeq Al-Humeidi, monitoring and documentation officer said “coalition justification is more like a formal accusation and a confirmation of the offense. This is unjustifiable crime, and the principles and rules of the international humanitarian law, obligate parties to commit to proportionality between damages and civilian losses that might occur due to the military operations, and the military advantage that could be attained as a result of the attack, and shall take all precautions to avoid civilians, and the attack shall be considered s disproportionate, if the expected casualties among civilians and civilian objects is greater than the military”.

“such attack on a public market and with such casualties is an appalling disaster, turned the place into a massacre like. The reports received by SAM confirm that the Arab coalition is indifferent to the international law rules”, he added.

SAM pointed that this is not the first incident in this month that cause high number civilian casualties.

On 4 August, in Hodiedah, about 50 civilians killed and tens injured in a bombing on Al-Thawra hospital, fish market, by shells of unknown source, amidst exchanged accusations between warring parties. According to identical reports received by SAM, from eyewitnesses, whose testimonies are documented by SAM, the incident was caused by an indiscriminate shell, whose source is unknown, and they confirmed that they saw the ruminants of the shells in the ground, and the hole it makes is small than that caused by airstrike.

In Hajjah, on 4 and 8 August 2018, Om Dhab, Al-Khadareesh, and Bani Hassan in Abs district, were subjected to airstrikes killed 11 civilians, including 5 children, when Ali Wihesh Ibrahim Adhabi, was attacked and killed along with 6 members of his family, including children and women.

In Taiz, on 2 August, a missile fired by Houthis militia on Al-Asabeh, Adeem village caused casualties among civilians.

SAM join all international pleas to conduct a transparent and immediate investigation to hold responsible party for such crimes accountable, and to end the indiscriminate attacks that target civilians in Yemen.

SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties called the international community to pressure to end the ongoing war in Yemen, where the civilians are the great losers, amidst unprecedented rise in killings and injured civilians and the deteriorated humanitarian situation.

SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties,Geneva

11 August 2017