World Says No to War on Yemen
Day of Action to take place on January 25
In a global day of action, organizations and activists are taking a stance against the war in Yemen and presenting a list of asks for the Biden administration to end U.S. backing of the war. Organized by the Yemeni Alliance Committee (YAC), Action Corps, and Stop The War UK, the day of action will take place on January 25, shortly after the US Presidential Inauguration and a day before the Davos in the Desert future investment initiative takes place in Saudi Arabia. Actions include protests in New York City, Chicago, California, London, and other areas and countries internationally, as well as digital actions and webinars.
The UN defines the situation in Yemen, as a result of the war, as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. Food and medicine are restricted from entering the region, hospitals and schools are systemically bombed, and most people living in Yemen do not have access to clean water or electricity.
Since 2015, over a hundred thousand Yemenis have been killed by the violence. Saudi airstrikes cause two-thirds of civilian casualties in Yemen. 233,000 people have been killed either directly or indirectly by the war at the end of 2020, according to the UN.
Over 3 million Yemenis are internally displaced. Over 18 million Yemenis are food insecure. Over 60 million Yemenis do not have access to healthcare. 10 million Yemenis are a step away from famine. 7 million Yemenis are malnourished. 85,000 Yemeni children have starved to death. The statistics are overwhelming, but the staggering numbers alone cannot emphasize the devastation of what is happening to people in Yemen.
“All these numbers, there are so many different statistics that we care about and I would like to humanize my people,” Jehan Hakim, chair of YAC, said, “because they are people with real lives and dreams and goals who wanted a future like all of us.”
Hakim pointed out the trauma that cannot be quantified. Children born since 2014 have lived their entire lives in an ongoing war environment.
“What that trauma will look like has yet to be recorded, that adds a layer of harm that will likely not be understood until the coming years after the war ends,” she said.
These devastating circumstances have only been worsened in our global pandemic.
“Yemenis are being bombed, starved, and banned, and now dealing with COVID,” Hakim said, “COVID is spreading faster, more widely, and with deadlier consequences than in many other countries because of these circumstances.”
The United States plays a big role in the fueling of this crisis. Since 2015, the U.S. has provided significant support to Saudi Arabia and its coalition through intelligence-sharing, logistical support, and the manufacturing and sales of weapons.
“The U.S. has not only been complicit, but has also been an active culprit in this war, which has generated a tremendous amount of profit,” Hakim said.
This profit extends beyond weapons contracts, although those alone generate about 120 million dollars a month. Yemen is home to the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, where over 4 million barrels of oil travel through everyday.
“The U.S. has a lot at stake to ensure that these productions are able to flow through safely and without the diversion or disruption of anyone who has autonomy over their country, which is the Yemeni people,” Hakim explained.
Funding the war in Yemen is just one of countless examples of the United States commitment to the war industrial complex. Since 9/11, U.S.A. military spending has increased by fifty percent, compared to thirteen percent growth in non-military spending, which includes education, healthcare, public transit, and science.
“US imperialism is not new. It manifests differently from region to region. But we all as Americans have a role. Will we be proactive and reactive, and try to do something about it? Or remain complicit, and turn a blind eye as if the US bombs that drop in Yemen have nothing to do with us?
The core organizers for the day of action drafted a joint statement titled ‘World Says No to War on Yemen’, which has co-signers from over 200 organizations from across over 20 countries. In this statement are several asks for the Biden administration to end support of the war, including the restoration of aid and the end of arms sales. Additionally, it demands Biden upholds his campaign promise to rescind the travel ban placed on several Muslim-majority countries including Yemen.
“What is happening in Yemen is man made,” Hakim said. “It is preventable. The US has a huge role in ending it.”
More information on the Yemeni Alliance Committee and the January 25 day of action can be found here.
