(Analysis) The Yemen war is once again engulfing the region, and the statements issued by Muslim capitals over the past 48 hours reveal a clear pattern: unanimous condemnation of attacks on Saudi airports, and near-total silence on civilian deaths inside Yemen. This analysis is based solely on verified statements and figures from 9 and 10 October.
A chorus of solidarity
According to Syria’s SANA news agency, Egypt on Saturday called the attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid Airport a flagrant violation of international law, while the UAE also declared full solidarity with Saudi Arabia. Daily Sabah reported that Türkiye on Friday demanded an immediate end to the attacks. Kuwait’s Amir sent condolences, Oman’s foreign minister rejected attacks on civilian facilities, and, according to UNA, the OIC’s human rights commission on Saturday said the attacks may amount to war crimes. None of the statements we reviewed mentioned civilian casualties in Yemen.
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The other picture of the Yemen war
Meanwhile, Anadolu Agency reported that the Saudi-led coalition announced a “large-scale operation” claiming 136 targets destroyed, and Al Jazeera reported heavy coalition bombardment of Sanaa on Friday. UN figures show at least 46 civilians killed in Yemen since August, many of them children, and more than 200,000 displaced. UN envoy Hans Grundberg, while condemning the attacks on Saudi facilities, also urged all parties to protect civilians and revive a political process. Notably, Qatar told the UN this week that international law must be applied “without selectivity or double standards”. If that principle applies to Yemen, civilian lives must count equally on both sides of the border; otherwise, Muslim-world diplomacy risks becoming a lining-up behind one party rather than an effort to end the war.
Sources: UNA, SANA, Daily Sabah, Kuwait Times, Oman Observer, Anadolu Agency, Al Jazeera, Gulf Times
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