A House of Commons
Business and International Development Committees report indicate that the sale
of UK's arms to Saudi Arabia should halt following the latter's involvement in
Yemen.
The Committee said it
had received evidence of "clear violations" of international
humanitarian law (IHL). About 47 civilians including 21 women and 15 children
were killed in Saudi Arabian
skirmishes using UK weaponry. The report also
included injuries to 58 more individuals after a house hosting a wedding party
was hit by Saudi Arabian aircraft ammunition.
MPs are split on the
issue. According to the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee's rival report, the
government must block exports if the UK courts say the weapon sales are
unlawful.
The Saudi Arabian Air
Force including other allies of the US-led coalition have also struck other
neutral parties in Syria.
Medicins Sans
Frontieres accused the coalition of war crimes after attacking several of their
volunteer hospitals in the area that killed 11 the previous month.
According to FAC
Conservative Chairman Crispin Blunt the report was one-sided. He had walked
out
of a private meeting between the House of Commons Committees on Arms Export
Controls (CAEC) to avoid a vote from being taken on the draft report.
The UK Defence
Committee did not comment whether they will publish their own report on the
matter.
