4 February, the U.S. State Department ApprouvéNew weapons sales are being considered to Saudi Arabia and Jordan. These deals will allow the countries to purchase fighter jets, missile defence systems reinforcements, as well spare parts and ammunition, if Congress does not block them. Pentagon transfer of UAE “Will support the United States’ foreign policy and national defense.”
Officials in Washington approved the deals while bombs fell half a globe away at Sana’a (Yemen) With airstrikes, jets are always buzzing over the city. hittingBoth rebel zones and civilian areas are equally welcome.
Sukaina Sharafuddin (a mother, humanitarian aid worker and mother) lives in Sana’a along with her son Elias (6 years). Sharafuddin tried to protect Elias from all the dangers outside his life. Although she denies it, “I believe that I am protecting him in some way,” she says. “But at least if I hear warplanes hovering still close by, or louder than usual, I would move him to our other location, which is the kitchen floor…inside and as far away from windows as possible.”
The airport is the heart of the city. Closing2016 was the last year that warplanes flew over Sana’a. Sharafuddin used to get excited when his son heard the explosions. Sharafuddin explains that Sharafuddin is now six years old and that his son hears the blasts more than he does me. He asks many questions I do not know how to answer.
Sharafuddin was only one week away from finding out that she was expecting Elias. Three hospitals were needed before she found one that had electricity. As doctors were about to perform a cesarean section, she explains, “I asked to have a general anesthetic because I didn’t want to hear the sound of bombs when my son was born. His life has always been a part war, from its inception.
Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemeni Civil War has been raging for seven years. Sharafuddin, as well as many other Yemeni citizens fearing the strikes, are part of that campaign. These strikes are also part of American involvement via weapons transfers and logistical support.
Joe Biden was the candidate on the campaign trail. promised“End our support to the Saudi-led War in Yemen.” However, little has happened a year after his election. While the U.S. keeps supporting the Saudi-led alliance, Yemen seems to be on the verge of falling apart. American military support enabled the devastation of entire countries under Donald Trump and Barack Obama.
Sharafuddin says that things are only increasing rapidly day-to-day. [Biden]Doesn’t seem like it is doing anything.”
“Hell On Earth”
The Yemeni Civil War began in 2014 and has since evolved from a domestic struggle for the country’s presidency into a complex, multipronged conflict that has drawn in some of the world’s major military powers—including the U.S.
Following the success of “a” Fight for the presidency of Yemen, the Houthi rebels, an Iran-backed armed Islamist militant movement known formally as Ansarallah, began to fight against a Saudi Arabia–led coalition that had Western backing. Saudi-led coalition InclusionTen countries at its founding and the hoped to bring its preferred man back to Yemen as President. Former President Obama OfferedAmerican military assistance. U.S. forces Present on the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border for a time, but America’s role has for the most part been limited to logistics and intelligence support rather than boots-on-the-ground involvement.
Obama at first Justification U.S. support as a necessary move “to defend Saudi Arabia’s border”—coming to the aid of a Historical, albeit Questionable, ally—and “to protect Yemen’s legitimate government,” a less straightforward U.S. security interest. Washington soon became involved by its support for the coalition. Significant arms supportThe U.S. continued involvement in Yemeni Civil War is an enduring hallmark of its participation.
Saudi officials began their work over seven decades ago Guess what?According to some, it will only take several weeks for tensions in Yemen to be quelled. But that isn’t the case.
Naseh Shaker is a freelance journalist based in Sana’a. He points out some of the reasons for tensions. Former Yemeni President’s regime used to establish camps and rocket storage rooms on the outskirts capital, in areas such as “Noqm Mountain” and within neighborhoods like Al-Hafa Camp. The purpose of airstrikes against such camps is to terrorize and intimidate civilians. The Houthi movement, he claims, “no more uses” these camps and they are “targeted every month since March 2015.
He continued, “Neighboring nations are fighting us” and can’t accept us as refugees. Saudi Arabia and [the]UAE wants to use Yemenis to combat Yemen and they aren’t ready to accept civilians refugees or open Sana’a Airport for the sick.
He says, “East or west, home is the best.” Not because the living conditions are more comfortable, but because we can’t all be welcomed in the same way that others. Yemenis should make due with what they have because “there is no other choice.”
Shaker says that the past seven years have made his country “hell on Earth.”
“There’s no escape,” says Sharafuddin. “People like me—civilians who just want to live a peaceful life with their family—they cannot escape it, because Yemenis are not wanted around the world. Without a visa we cannot travel anywhere, not even to Arab countries. No country will allow you to seek asylum even if you are allowed to leave.
American politicians have cited many reasons why the U.S. should continue to be involved in Yemeni Civil War. Some others have. arguedThis is an opportunity “to prevent Yemen turning into a slave state of the corrupt, brutal Islamic Republic of Iran.” Other stressWhile some Houthis soldiers have been endangered by the Houthis in the area, others have not. It should be emphasizedIt is important to maintain the alliance with Saudi Arabia.
No matter how the reason, Yemeni civilians have been trapped by warring forces who are hungry for conflict.
American weapons are largely responsible for Yemen’s devastation.
“We felt so optimistic, and we were praying very hard.”
The U.S. has been a strong partner throughout Obama’s presidency ApprouvéMore than $100 billion has been spent on arms exports to Saudi Arabia. He supervised the TransferThe kingdom received “everything, from small arms to ammunition, tanks to attack helicopters to air-to ground missiles to missile defense ships and warships”. But as reports began to emerge of human rights violations during the Saudi-led war against Yemen, and the death toll grew to a great extent. The rise is dramatic,” reported VoxThe Obama Administration canceled the sale of precision-guided ammunition it originally agreed to sell in an effort to force the Saudis to stop these atrocities.
Trump was the last president to have such reservations. His administration approved massive arms sales. Trump made his 2017 first overseas trip as president. AnnoucedSaudi Arabia signed a $110 billion deal immediately, and $350 billion in the upcoming decade. The administration Get notifiedThe Congress announced its intention to ship almost $500 Million of precision bombs in Saudi Arabia by December 2020. Strong resistanceSimilar deals can be reached among legislators.
Trump and Obama’s support of the Saudis was not a new phenomenon. Official roots of the U.S.-Saudi relations date back to 1945. The longest American marriageAssisting an Arab nation. America attended a high level meeting in that same year. committedThe kingdom also promised to provide security and have access to its oil reserves. Presidents of the United States have been reluctantTo challenge this relationship, they see Saudi Arabian as a crucial ally in a neighbor where America isn’t always welcome. This has also made them reluctant to challenge the kingdom’s nasty conduct—its involvement in the The execution of a murderOf Washington PostJamal Khashoggi columnist, it oppressive blockadeQatar’s chaotic military engagementIn the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia, 2016 – 2020 All accountsFor 24 percent, the U.S. sold arms to Saudi Arabia. However, the U.S. provided 79 percent the country’s main conventional weapons. America’s largest weapons purchaser is Saudi Arabia, while America is Saudi Arabia’s biggest weapons supplier. Saudi Arabia and its allies in coalition have UsedAmerican forces strike Houthi targets with arms, killing thousands rebel fighters. However, civilians have paid a greater share of the cost of these operations. The U.N. Human Rights Council was established in 2017. reportedThe conflict had seen more than 60% of civilian casualties caused by the Saudi-led alliance.
In her CapacitySharafuddin, a humanitarian aid worker at Save the Children witnessed the effects of one of the most notorious coalition strikes against civilians. It was a 2018. attackA school bus carrying 26 students was struck by lightning, leaving at least 26 dead. She visited survivors with her team and attempted to assist them in any way she could. However, because of the lack of funds and the high needs, the help was always inadequate. One year after the tragedy, they found that some of the survivors still had fragments in their heads when they met them again.
On October 16, 2016, the Saudi-led Coalition ExecutedAn airstrike was conducted on a Sana’a funeral service, killing over 100 and injuring more than 500. Human Rights Watch (HRW). reportedIn this attack, and another in April 2016, U.S. weapons were used StrikeOn a market where at least 97 people, including 25 children, were killed. HRW SubmittedTwo years later, American arms were discovered at the locations of numerous “other unlawful coalition strikes in Yemen” Arms deals funneled millions of dollars into American defense companies like Raytheon Lockheed Martin.
This article features Yemenis who claim that these weapons fuel the flames of destruction. Shaker states, “The US must not be seen as a peace broker while selling arms to the UAE and Saudi Arabia.” The “administration—not the people—needs to change its words into actions because the world is watching.”
“The American audience should hear that they have to…ask their government to stop this war, to stop selling arms to Saudi [Arabia]…and the UAE,” says Ahmad Algohbary, a freelance journalist and founder of the grassroots humanitarian aid organization Yemen Hope and Relief. They must stop doing this. Due to the end of arms contracts, I’m sure that this will cause people to lose their jobs. We know it won’t build their economy. But what about us?
American weapons have been dangerous enough in the hands of allies—but our enemies have acquired them, too. A 2019 CNN investigation Find itAccording to the United States, “Saudi Arabia, its coalition partners, have given American-made weapons and ammunition to al Qaeda-linked fighters and hardline Salafi militias and other factions waging conflict in Yemen.” This is in contravention of agreements they made with them. American military technology was also at risk because Iran-backed rebels acquired American arms. Saudi Arabia and UAE purchased U.S. arms as a currency, to purchase the loyalty of tribesmen or militias and to bolster selected armed actors and impact the complicated political landscape.” As perCNN Sources
The Biden administration seemed to be changing things. Biden, the then-candidate for president in November 2019, called Saudi Arabia a “problem.”pariah“, criticizing Trump’s coziness towards the kingdom. He stated, “I want to make it clear that we weren’t going to sell any more weapons to them.” Detailed explanation. He He would stop “the selling of material to Saudis, where they are going in and killing children.” He was inaugurated as the new president. AnnoucedThe end of U.S. support to the Saudi-led military operation in Yemen
Sharafuddin said that nearly everyone she knew watched the election unfold on TV, radio and social media. Sharafuddin recalled that Biden declared that if elected, the United States would cease the war on Yemen and sell arms to Saudi Arabia. We were hopeful and praying hard. Everyone prayed that Biden would win, hoping that he would save us.
In December 2021 however, the Biden administration was pushed for an Additional saleRafts to Saudi Arabia by Congress. They argued that they would be used for defensive purposes,” Annelle Sheline and Trita Parsi from Quincy Institute. SubmittedIn The New Republic. According to some, this led to Biden ending U.S. assistance for Saudi Arabia.Operative operations” in Yemen. He seems to be committed to holding Saudi Arabia responsible. Tension reliefYemen condemned a December Houthi attack—but has not commented on the Saudi-led coalition’s bombings of Sana’a. The coalition had not yet commented on the attack by Houthi in December, but it did comment last month on Saudi-led coalition’s bombings of Sana’a. killed civilians in Internationally banned strikes. Jan. An unusual attack on a prison Get involvedRaytheon produced the bomb. America still supports the massacre of civilians on Yemeni soil, contrary to Biden’s campaign promises.
“Honestly, what can I say? “Now what? Sharafuddin questions. We thought he’d be better than former presidents. This is a complete lie.
United Nations, September 2021 ReportThe continued selling of arms to the conflicting sides has only exacerbated the violence,” he said. Canada, France and Iran are the only countries that have not stopped arms transfers to Yemen. The United Kingdom, United States, Canada and France also continue these weapons transfers.
“I’ve seen death. I’ve seen hunger. “I have seen all.”
A United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), estimate that the conflict caused 377,000 deaths in 2021. Unreliable access and quality of water and food contributed to nearly 60% of these deaths. Airstrikes only added to the death toll—in September 2021, a U.N. panel EstimateSince 2015, at least 18,000 civilians in Yemen were killed or injured by airstrikes. U.N. experts Be informedThe Human Rights Council stated that Yemenis have been subject to approximately 10 strikes per day since March 2015. This amounts to more than 23,000 attacks.
devastating cholera outbreakBetween 2016 and 2021, more than 1 million Yemenis were infected and 3,000 people died. COVID-19 also confirmed that the virus was present. RipenedMany people were not vaccinated, leading to their deaths. It is difficult to determine the exact death rates or infection rates due to the devastation of our medical system.
Yemen’s most vulnerable have suffered the brunt of war. The U.N. ProjectionA quarter of Yemeni children aged 5 and under could become severely malnourished by 2021. Yemeni children are at risk from low access to health and routine vaccinations, undernourished mothers and insecure sanitation systems. in danger. A Yemeni child below the age of 5 died nine times per hour in 2021 due to war. All of these factors have combined resulted in MadeThe U.N. deems Yemen “one the most dangerous countries in which to raise children.”
Algohbary is able to understand the suffering of his nation. I have witnessed death. I’ve seen hunger. He said, “I’ve seen it all.” He stated that he had seen blood while visiting the airstrike attack scene to provide assistance. I saw organs. It was very horrifying.”
His organization has provided food baskets, blankets, and school supplies to thousands of suffering families—but it all started with just one.
After the war, Yemen was hit hard by a famine. “Once upon a time, I made the decision to live with my family and to see what their pain is,” he said. “I spent the entire night there, from morning to midnight. I also slept there. Imagine that they only had flour. They mixed the flour with water. Then they took it to their table and ate it. Algohbary claims that he witnessed the family eating tree leaves in order to live. He came home weeping.
Algohbary states, “Each and every day since that date, I swear that when I eat any food I think about them,”
He started to tweet his stories about his countrymen in pain, and the devastating photographs and documentation gained international attention. “I didn’t think that people would help me,” he recalls—but he started receiving donations from far and wide. His team from Yemen Hope and Relief received funds to distribute food and conduct “more than twenty water well projects.”
Algohbary continues his humanitarian work even though he is recovering from surgery outside Yemen. It is crucial that the group focuses on malnutrition and brings children back to their health. It’s hard for kids,” he says. A baby born in Yemen “is born to a hunger ward…in a warzone, in the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, in the worst place to live as a child.”
Algohbary helped to heal 360 Yemeni malnourished children. He also brought vital supplies to numerous communities. Algohbary says that he is happy to help so many people. He hopes to find solutions for the war’s complex roots.
He said, “As Yemenis we want the war to end.” “We want these countries—the U.S. and other Western countries—to stop…refueling this war.”
Algohbary states, “I truly believe that Yemeni war is over once the U.S. decides it to stop.” “They must end this.”
His work will continue until then.
“If the U.S. is determined to end this conflict, they will be able to do so in just one phone call.”
The U.S. SoldSaudi Arabia has received more than $1 Billion in arms. Biden Administration ContinueThe kingdom will receive logistical assistance in order to maintain and service Saudi fighter jets. It turns out that it is very easy to blur the line between “offensive” and “defensive support.
Yemen’s recent month has seen unprecedented violence. Food assistance reduced, Hospitals and other critical infrastructure are under attack by airstrikesA nationwide internet four-day event Excluded. It has been a long time since I was able to travel by land, water, and air. blockadeSaudi-led alliance has prevented essential goods reaching Yemenis who are in dire need of them by imposing restrictions. Peace advocates have called on the U.S. to pressure Saudi Arabia into relaxing these measures—but Biden officials aren’t pushing the matter. State Department spokesperson said, “It’s not a blockade.” argued last April. The month of January Deadliest monthYemen has seen nearly one civilian killed or injured every hour since 2018.
“What’s been happening in the past few days?” [in Sana’a]This is exactly what happened since 2015. Shaker says that hearing warplanes overhead is part of daily life. “I’m not sure if it is a military camp, civilian object or me that may have been targeted.”
Despite three presidential administrations overseeing U.S. participation in Yemeni conflict, some American legislators realize this. A bipartisan House majority was elected in September. Voted to end U.S. support for Saudi Arabia’s campaign through the National Defense Authorization Act—the third year running. But, it was removed from the final bill.
Last week, Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D–Wash.) and Peter DeFazio (D–Ore.) SubmittedIn The NationThey stated that they wanted to “pass a Yemen War Powers Resolution”, in order to “reaffirm Congress’s constitutional war power authority, end unauthorized US participation in this interminable war, energize diplomatic efforts and alleviate this terrible humanitarian catastrophe.”
Yemenis are tired after seven years of suffering. “I think if the U.S. wants to stop this war, they can do it in just one call—to call Saudi Arabia and the UAE to end it,” Algohbary emphasizes. Algohbary urges President Biden to call all of the Yemeni warring parties and get started on the peace negotiations. “I saw loss of friends and famine. I also saw blood. “I have seen every evil thing in Yemen.
Sharafuddin said, “Our message to Americans and to the international community is that enough is enough in Yemen.” “It’s already awful enough. To overcome what we have been through, it will be years and years before we can do so.
Algohbary says, “We need peace.” We need peace.