Article 33(2) of the Arab Charter on Human Rights meanwhile affirms: "The State and society shall ensure the protection of the family, the strengthening of family ties, the protection of its members."

But the report said measures taken by the Quartet against Qatar have had terrible consequences for family life, causing temporary and possibly permanent disruption to families across all the effected nations.

The shock of the decision to impose sanctions on Qatar and the immediate and serious effect of unilateral coercive measures on many individuals has had "a major psychological impact on the overall population," the report suggested.

"These have created huge strains on families in their efforts to cope with displacement and financial loss," the report noted.

In January, the UN's human rights office accused the four countries of orchestrating a hate campaign against Qatar, which included threats to kill the country's emir.

In a devastating report, the Office for the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) set out how between June and October 2017 there were 1,120 press articles and 600 anti-Qatar caricatures published in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

The OHCHR report said: "Such material included… calls for a regime change or a coup d'etat, attacks against leading figures and symbols of Qatar, as well as attacks on and murder of Qataris.

"Opening of new hospitals was delayed because shipment of construction materials was blocked "       

"For instance, a Saudi tweeter with five million followers has been issuing 'religious opinions' calling for the killing of the emir of Qatar. Another Saudi tweeter warned he could send one million Yemeni suicide bombers to Qatar," the OHCHR report said in January.

While abusive use of media is "not per se a human rights violation, but if it amounts to incitement to violence it loses any protection under international human rights law," the report said.

While ensuing a media campaign on Qatar, the Quartet has itself demanded Doha shuts down its most affective media platforms, including Al Jazeera and Arab 21, The New Arab, Sharq and the Middle East Eye.

But the report said "such demands are quite unprecedented and constitute an extraordinary interference with freedom of the press as well as with the right of everyone to seek and receive information".

The Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression of the United Nations Human Rights Council, David Kaye reaffirmed the sentiments.

"This demand represents a serious threat to media freedom if States, under the pretext of a diplomatic crisis, take measures to force the dismantling of Al-Jazeera," Kaye said.

"This has been exacerbated by a hostile media campaign that flared up from early June and is ongoing," it said. 

Rights to health and education have also been seriously violated by the Quartets' blockade, the report adds, noting the expulsion of Qatari students who were studying in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt.

"Qatari students were prevented from either pursuing their studies or passing their exams. Many students in these countries were ordered to immediately return to Qatar, often by the administration of universities," it said.

"Qatari students were prevented from either pursuing their studies or passing their exams. Many students in these countries were ordered to immediately return to Qatar, often by the administration of universities "

  
Medical supplies

In regards to Qatar's pharmaceuticals, 50 to 60 percent of which was stocked by suppliers in the Gulf region prior to the blockade, the disruption of trade has had consequences for access to medicines and medical supplies.

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