The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) slammed Saudi coalition attacks on water systems in Yemen.

“A large water facility in Sa’ada, northwest of the country, came under attack this week. This is the third such attack on the same facility. More than half of the project is now damaged, cutting off 10,500 people from safe drinking water,” a statement released by the UNICEF read.

“Continuous attacks on water systems in Yemen are cutting off children and their families from water; increasing the likelihood of water-borne diseases spreading in the war-torn country,” UNICEF said.

Yemen has been since March 2015 under brutal aggression by Saudi-led Coalition, in a bid to restore control to fugitive president Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi who is Riyadh’s ally.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed and injured in the strikes launched by the coalition, with the vast majority of them are civilians.

The coalition, which includes in addition to Saudi Arabia and UAE: Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Sudan and Kuwait, has been also imposing a harsh blockade against Yemenis.

“For families in Yemen, these crumbling basic services are a matter of life and death. Access to these services is about the sheer survival of boys and girls in Yemen. If they continue to come under attack, more lives – among them many children – will be lost,” the statement said further.

“Attacks on civilian infrastructure including water systems are a violation of international humanitarian law,” UNICEF said, urging parties to the conflict wherever they are in Yemen and those who have influence over them, to stop all attacks and military activity on or near civilian infrastructure including water systems and facilities, schools, hospitals and clinics.

Source: Agencies