The UN on Monday (March 21st) rejected a call by the coalition battling the Houthis (Ansarallah) in Yemen for the port of al-Hodeida to be placed under its supervision, AFP reported Tuesday.
The coalition made the appeal following a Friday (March 17th) attack on a boat carrying Somali refugees off the coast of Yemen that killed 42 people.
"Many questions remain unanswered on the circumstances of this horrific event," UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said on Monday.
"We call on all parties to the conflict to make proper inquiries to ensure accountability and to prevent this from happening again," he added.
Somalia also has called for a probe into the raid.
Addressing the request for the port to be placed under UN supervision, UN spokesman Farhan Haq said the warring sides in Yemen have a responsibility to protect civilian infrastructure and civilians.
"These are not obligations they can shift to others," he said.
Al-Hodeida, a key transit point for imports, is controlled by the Houthis.
In a Sunday statement, the coalition said it was not responsible for the attack, and called for the port to be "placed immediately under UN supervision".
