The Independent United Nations Watch (IUNWATCH) condemn the extensive smearing campaign against UN staff and members due to a recent WFP report on Yemen. IUNWatch research team investigated new campaign targeting the agency and came to conclusions that United Arab Emirates is leading the negative and fake news campaign.
IUNWATCH tracked a report titled “Exclusive: UN’s Yemen office blatant bias in siding in with the Houthis and the Khomeiniist Regime” published by the so called Islamic State of Iran Crime Research Center – (ISCICRC). The report claimed that the UN OCHA is biased and are in support of the Houthi fighters. It also allegedly argue
The conclusions of ISCIRC that the UN is biased is apparently based on fake news that seems to be dictated by people with obscure agendas.
One of the key reasons for attacking the UN is due to a press release issued by WFP expressing their concern over an attack on their food trucks in a fighting zone. Although the statements was not blaming any specific side, it seems it was used by the Arab coalition to accuse UN of bias. The ISCIRC report open its leads by stating,” The press statement issued by the United Nations World Food Program (WFP), however, did not mention the Houthis in its comments on the incident. This is not the first time that the UN Office in Yemen has shows its blatant bias toward the Houthis and Tehran regime military forces.”
Then it attempts to support its false argument by stating that Country director United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Yemen (who was at a humanitarian mission at the time) is pro Huthis. They also smeared a number of experts and senior UN Officials.
Fake News ISCICRC and the UAE-Saudi Media link
In less than an hour of publishing the report ” Exclusive: UN’s Yemen office blatant bias in siding in with the Houthis and the Khomeiniist Regime” on ISCICRC website; Sky News Arabic TV half-owned by UAE’s Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan republished the fake news. The TV channel gave the report a credibility that never existed and made it look as if produced by International independent experts. However, facts concluded by our researchers tell the otherwise.
Despite the ISCICRC is totally fake news UAE-SAUDI media widely published their ill-written and propaganda report.
In closer follow up, our researchers came to discover that ISCICRC is nothing but a news website with no owners. The domain and website are not verified. There is neither address nor a phone number. There are no events to seminars to show their existence.
IUNWATCH call for protection of UN Field Staff
In light of the above facts, IUNWATCH hold the UAE-SAUDI governments the responsibility of UN staff in Yemen. Indeed, the misinformation and propaganda campaign will put their lives at risk whether while working in Yemen or the Middle East in general.
“We have noticed that UAE’s media is relentlessly attacking the UN and its agencies due to their position on the Yemen War. We express our concern about such intimidation which will indeed affect the work of the UN at the field. The UAE once again proves it’s not given any attention to human rights in Yemen let alone the Human Rights Defenders” said IUNWatch Spokesperson, Maria Kovanich
Kovanich added that while UAE is part of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, it attempts to harm the human rights defenders. She also added that Human Rights Council last 3 sessions issued a number of reports urging member states to protect human rights defenders.
