Unesco has expressed concerns over damages to monuments and cultural heritage due to violence in Yemen.
In a statement, it said it had received reports of severe damage to significant cultural heritage sites in the country including the old city of Sana’a.
Yemen’s capital was heavily bombed during the night of 11 May 2015, causing severe damage to many of its historic buildings, while adding that other sites were affected including the archaeological site of the pre-Islamic walled city of Baraqish.
“I condemn these destructions and I call on all parties to keep cultural heritage out of the conflict”, said the Director-General of UNESCO, Ms. Irina Bokova. "I am particularly distressed by the news concerning air strikes on heavily populated areas such as the cities of Sana’a and Saa’dah. In addition to causing terrible human suffering, these attacks are destroying Yemen’s unique cultural heritage, which is the repository of people’s identity, history and memory and an exceptional testimony to the achievements of the Islamic Civilization".
The Old City of Sanaa addition is included on Yemen’s World Heritage Tentative List. It was put on the World's heritage list in 1986.
It is worth mentioning that Saudi-led airstrikes launched against the Houthi militants on March 26 have targeted key heritage sites including the Cairo castle in the southern city of Taiz after Houthis had used them as war positions. The castle was built more than nine hundred years ago.
So far, the Yemeni authority for museums and historical antiquities have received reports about airstrikes on 12 heritage sites, it said.
The damaged sites are located in Sanaa, Taiz, Jawf and Marib.