The UN envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, condemned the raids of the Saudi-Emirati coalition that left at least 20 civilians dead, including children, in Al-Jawf governorate in the northeast of the country.
Griffiths said - in a statement today, Friday - that there is an urgent need for a transparent investigation, and reminded all those involved in the Yemeni conflict that international law imposes on them an obligation to protect civilians and civilian facilities.
For its part, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that field reports indicate that 9 children were killed and 7 others were wounded, including two women, in the raids that took place Thursday.
Houthi media quoted local officials as saying that 20 people were killed in the raids that targeted 4 cars carrying civilians in the Al-Maatara tribe areas in the Khub and Al-Sha`af border district in Al-Jawf.
Al-Masirah TV - affiliated with the Houthis - published pictures of the bodies of a number of victims of the bombing, and described what happened as a massacre committed by the "aggression air", in reference to the coalition that has been waging a war in Yemen since 2015.
In a separate development, the channel reported that one civilian was killed today in Saudi missile and artillery shelling on the Baqim district of Saada governorate, north of Yemen.
In the face of international criticism, the coalition admitted in the past to committing "mistakes" that caused the death of civilians during air strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, and international organizations confirm that the raids of the Saudi-Emirati coalition have left thousands of dead and wounded civilians in this country.