In Yemen, the U.S. is currently abetting a humanitarian disaster that could rival Syria and Iraq in its destabilizing impact on the region and the world. More than 10,000 people have been killed in the intractable civil war between Iran-backed Houthi rebels and Saudi-backed government loyalists over the past three years. And the U.S. government seems like it's doing everything it can to make things worse.
One third of the people face starvation. The UN has warned that one third of the population faces starvation (ABC). The UN World Food Program says that more than 20 million people in Yemen, north Nigeria, Somalia and South Sudan are at risk of dying from starvation. Yemen is the worst affected country. More than 7.3 million people need food assistance and more than 460,000 children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition."The pictures are harrowing, the numbers are amazing," Jamie McGoldrick, OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) for Yemen said (ABC). This starvation has stemmed from two years of war in the country. A Saudi led coalition has been bombing the country since March 2015 in an attempt to get rid of the Iranian aligned Houthi rebels who have overthrown the government. This includes American made cluster-bombs. Saudi Arabia has also purchased American-made fighter jets, and the Pentagon has provided Saudis with training, aerial refueling support and intelligence as it targets attacks in Yemen.
This began during the Obama Administration, but continues to receive support during the Trump Administration. Donald Trump even made an $110 billion arms deal with the Saudis which will give them more tools to blow up hospitals and water pumps.
What really makes the war in Yemen frightening is that the country was already in a dire state as the poorest country in the Arab region, overpopulated and heavily dependent on imports, the country’s biggest problem is that it is drying up. A population boom and the rise of a cash crop economy has led to overexploitation of scarce resources, exacerbated by the effects of climate change, and Yemen is now one of the most water-stressed countries in the world. Some experts believe Sanaa could become the world’s first capital city to run out of water entirely — not decades from now, but by 2025 — and what little water the city has left is now contaminated with cholera. If nothing is done to alleviate Yemen’s water crisis, and especially if war continues to degrade infrastructure and make repairs impossible, Yemen is a strong candidate for the world’s first major climate refugee crisis.
The U.S. is an accessory in the starvation and murder of the Yemeni people and the continued destruction of their state. Between civil war, famine, disease, climate change, and the indifference of the world, Yemen is well on its way to becoming ungovernable, if not uninhabitable.
NEWS STORIES
The United States Is Complicit in the Destruction of Yemen (New York, 8-8-17)
The United States and the Crucifixion of Yemen (Common Dreams, 8-8-17)
US House Votes to Block US Participation in Saudi War in Yemen (Truth-out, 7-14-17)
Pocan, Amash Invoke War Powers as Trump Mulls Pushing Yemen Into Famine (Common Dreams, 4-3-17)
U.N. special envoy warns against military operation on Yemen port (Reuters, 3-31-17)
Yemen on 'brink of famine' as more than one-third of population faces starvation, UN warns (ABC, 2-23-17)
BANNED BY 119 COUNTRIES, U.S. CLUSTER BOMBS CONTINUE TO ORPHAN YEMENI CHILDREN (The Intercept, 12-14-16)
The US Role in Yemen: What You Need to Know (ABC, 10-13-16)
A cluster bomb made in America shattered lives in Yemen’s capital (Washington Post, 7-10-16)