Yemen crisis – three years of conflict

Today, 25 March 2018, marks the third anniversary of the Saudi Arabia-led coalition’s military campaign in the Yemen.  We have featured this conflict on this site during that time with stories focusing especially on the UK’s involvement supplying arms and logistical support and our involvement generally in bombing Yemen.

5,974 civilians killed during the conflict

Despite three years of war, the conflict shows no sign of abating, and Yemeni civilians continue to suffer at the hands of all parties to the conflict.  Warring parties have consistently shown a brazen disregard for civilian life and the their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law.  The devastation wrought and thousands of lives lost continues to fail to attract the level of attention and concern they warrant across the world.

9,493 civilians injured during the conflict

The billion dollar arms deals between Saudi Arabia and its coalition members and a host of western allies have continued throughout the past year despite mounting evidence that Amnesty and others have built to show the high risk such weapons will be used to in unlawful attacks on Yemen.

More that 2 million people currently displaced by the fighting

Hundreds of other Yemeni children have died from the worst cholera outbreak in modern history.  Thousands who have succumbed to malnutrition, and the untold number of civilians killed by airstrikes on homes, streets, weddings and funerals.  This has been the human price of the three-year civil war in Yemen, in which all parties have shown a callous disregard for life, but where the large majority of civilian deaths lies irrefutably at the door of Saudi Arabia.

This is the situation now and the concern is that post Brexit, the arms control regime will be weakened further especially with our desire to create and develop new markets to those lost in Europe.

More than 22.2 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance including food, water, shelter, sanitation and fuel.

What can I do?  The UK government is indifferent to the suffering in the country and has recently celebrated the latest arms deals following the visit by King Salman.  There are things you can do and in particular send some tweets.  Suggestions include:

• .@Theresa_may: stop selling weapons that fuel violations, destroy civilian lives in #Yemen #Yemencantwait
• Hospitals, schools, mosques – it seems nothing off limits.  Stop bombing civilians in #Yemen @King Salman

If you want to support or join the Salisbury group of Amnesty, the best thing is to keep an eye on this site or Facebook or Twitter and come along to one of our activities and make yourself known.  It is free to join the local group.