Saudi Warplanes Destroy MSF Hospital in Yemen

At Least Two Staff Hurt in Attacks

by Jason Ditz, 

Adding to concerns about Saudi attacks on civilians in Yemen, an overnight air raid against the capital city of Sanaa pounded a residential district, hitting several homes, a girl’s school, and destroying a Doctors Without Borders (MSF) hospital.

MSF reported the facility was struck multiple times and left in “wreckage.” The first strike hit the operations theater of the hospital, which fortunately was empty at night, and the staff had enough time to evacuate for the most part before a second missile went careening into the maternity ward.

Two MSF staffers were wounded, but there appear to have been no deaths in the hospital strike, though casualties out of the surrounding area are so far not certain. This is the second MSF facility destroyed in an airstrike this month, after the US destroyed one in Afghanistan.

MSF reported they’d provided the coordinates of all facilities in Yemen to the Saudi-led coalition two weeks ago, specifically for fear that the wreckless air campaign would mistakenly hit them. There has been no Saudi response from the strike so far, but MSF says that whatever the circumstances, the strike amounts to a war crime.

http://news.antiwar.com/2015/10/27/saudi-warplanes-destroy-msf-hospital-in-yemen/