Almost
three years have passed since Saudi Arabia announced it was
intervening militarily, with its allies, in Yemen, to remove the
Houthis (officially called Ansar Allah) from power after they had
taken over the capital. Western analysts saw it as a bold move from
recently-empowered (deputy) crown prince Mohammad bin Salman (MbS),
weapons manufacturers and their political representatives were
delighted. But what had been predicted as a swift military operation
has turned into a humiliating stalemate. Unable to impose its will by
force, Saudi Arabia and its bold prince have resorted to war crimes
and collective punishment, imposing a humanitarian catastrophe on the
Yemeni people.
by
Ricardo Vaz
Part
1
The lack
of media interest makes it seem like a crisis unfolding in slow
motion. But that is only because outrage and compassion are now meant
to be weaponised when they can be useful in justifying imperialist
interventions. For the Yemeni people the agony is real and there is
no escaping it. In what was already the poorest country in the
region, the Saudi-led bombings of infrastructure and the blockade
imposed on Yemeni ports have left millions on the brink.
According
to UN estimates, 17 million Yemenis, more than 60% of the population,
are in urgent need of food. Out of these, 7 million are facing
famine. The destruction of infrastructure has also left 15 million
without any access to healthcare and generated an unprecedented
cholera outbreak, with 900.000 cases and thousands dead already.
50.000 Yemeni children have died in 2017 as a result of disease and
starvation. There is no hyperbole needed, this is a humanitarian
disaster that is beyond words. Only it is not a natural catastrophe.
More than something that is being allowed to happen, it is something
that is being deliberately imposed on the Yemeni people.
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