The Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen has been removed from a UN blacklist of states and groups that violate children's rights in conflict.Saudi Arabia protested after the UN released a report saying the coalition was responsible for 60% of the child deaths and injuries in Yemen last year.
It said the casualty figures were "wildly exaggerated".
The UN said it would now carry out a joint review with the coalition of the cases listed in the report.
But the Saudi envoy to the UN insisted the removal of the coalition from the blacklist was "final".
The human rights campaign group Human Rights Watch sharply criticised the move, saying the UN chief's office had "hit a new low".
'Political manipulation'
The coalition - which comprises Saudi Arabia and nine other Arab and Muslim nations, supported by the US and UK - began fighting the Houthis in March 2015, two months after the rebels drove Yemen's government from power and took full control of the capital, Sanaa.
Since then, at least 6,200 people - about half of them civilians - have been killed and 2.8 million others have been displaced, according to the UN.
Last Thursday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon issued his annual report on children and armed conflict, which described the situation in Yemen as "particularly worrisome".
It said the casualty figures were "wildly exaggerated".
The UN said it would now carry out a joint review with the coalition of the cases listed in the report.
But the Saudi envoy to the UN insisted the removal of the coalition from the blacklist was "final".
The human rights campaign group Human Rights Watch sharply criticised the move, saying the UN chief's office had "hit a new low".
'Political manipulation'
The coalition - which comprises Saudi Arabia and nine other Arab and Muslim nations, supported by the US and UK - began fighting the Houthis in March 2015, two months after the rebels drove Yemen's government from power and took full control of the capital, Sanaa.
Since then, at least 6,200 people - about half of them civilians - have been killed and 2.8 million others have been displaced, according to the UN.
Last Thursday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon issued his annual report on children and armed conflict, which described the situation in Yemen as "particularly worrisome".
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