Saudi Arabia may have just attempted to warn people to leave with leaflets dropped into villages by air.
Twitter users from Yemen said the Saudi coalition dropped the papers in the Hajjah governorate, on the western coast by the Red Sea, where Houthi forces were reportedly occupying. Here's the tweet:
طيران التحالف يوزع منشورات تحذيرية في حجة تطالبهم الابتعاد عن أماكن تواجد مليشيات الحوثي #اليمن #السهم_الذهبي pic.twitter.com/AyV3lKbvNJ
— انتهاكات الحوثي (@uwhldoks) August 3, 2015Translation: Coalition air force through fliers in Hajjah asking civilians to stay away from Houthi areas.
The leaflet says:
Our brothers in Yemen
It wouldn't be the first time Saudi Arabia has warned people to leave before airstrikes. But regardless of what the kingdom thinks, it's not so simple as to pack a bag and stay the night at an aunt's house. Many Yemenis have been in their homes for generations, have kids and schools — and many of them run out of time to figure out alternatives before the air raids.
It's been over four months since Saudi Arabia began conducting airstrikes against the Houthis. And thousands of airstrikes later, it's probably safe to say Saudi Arabia should know better than to rely on warnings to avoid human rights violations.
By Hayat Norimine
