THE United Nations was accused today of a political cover-up of “heinous crimes” committed by Saudi Arabia and its allies in Yemen in breach of its own charter.

Mahdi al-Mashat, who heads Yemen’s Supreme Political Council, made the allegation as he accused the world body of a “negative approach” when it comes to Saudi Arabia’s six-year bombardment of the country.

He condemned the UN security council as “biased” for its recent statement calling for a ceasefire and an end to Yemeni forces’ advance on the last Saudi-backed stronghold, the town of Marib.

The call – deemed to be supportive of the Riyadh regime – coincided with Saudi air strikes targeting civilians and infrastructure, Mr Mashat said.

“The Yemeni nation is suffering from a suffocating sea, land and air blockade, which has affected the lives of more than 25 million people and has directly and indirectly resulted in the deaths of thousands of Yemenis,” he said.

“This is while the United Nations has been witness to such flagrant violation of international law.”

The Houthi movement, which ousted president Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi through a popular uprising in 2015, insists that ending the Saudi-led coalition’s war against Yemen is necessary to resolve the humanitarian crisis.