Iceland described the ongoing war in Yemen as a “stupid war” and a human disaster, calling on all the participating parties, including Saudi Arabia, to bear responsibility by responding to international demands for a ceasefire and working towards peacemaking.
In his speech before the human rights council (HRC) on March 14th 2018, Mr. Harald Aspelund, the Ambassador of Iceland, highlighted that Iceland noted its growing concern regarding the ongoing war on Yemen, especially as the participating countries, including Saudi Arabia, have already received calls for a ceasefire.
Previously, the UN had listed Saudi Arabia on a UN blacklist for killing children in conflict, due to the war it launched on Yemen, and confirmed that the Saudi led coalition is responsible for 60% of all child mortality in this conflict. However, the latter exerted pressure on the UN to ensure its name was struck off the blacklist.