Two years into a Saudi-led onslaught against the defenseless Third World nation, the result has been 10,000 deaths, 7 million slowly starving to death, and the worst cholera epidemic on record.
The Guardian reported back in March: “Aid agencies have warned that Yemen is “at the point of no return” after new figures released by the UN indicated 17 million people are facing severe food insecurity and will fall prey to famine without urgent humanitarian assistance.
A total of 6.8 million people are deemed to be in a state of emergency – one step from famine on the five-point integrated food security phase classification (IPC), the standard international measure – with a further 10.2 million in crisis. The numbers reflect a 21% increase in hunger levels in the Arab world’s poorest state since June 2016…
…“The numbers affected are absolutely extraordinary,” said Mark Kaye, Save the Children’s Yemen spokesperson.
“We keep on talking about a country that’s on the brink of famine, but for me these numbers highlight that we’re at the point of no return. If things are not done now we are going to be looking back on this and millions of children will have starved to death, and we’ll all have been aware of this for some time. That will shame us as an international community for years to come.”
Al Jazeera now reports that the Saudi military is blocking fuel for UN aid planes destined for Yemen. This is even after it has become public knowledge that over one million severely malnourished children under the age of 5 are on the brink of succumbing to cholera.
The cruel Saudi blockade of Yemen’s ports is to blame for the cholera epidemic, the starvation crisis, and will be to blame once this genocide of Yemen’s civilian population escalates. In a year, there will be at least 7 million fewer Yemenis on this earth. Blame can clearly be placed around the neck of the Saudi government. Blame can also clearly be placed around the necks of the governments that freely arm these butchers. The US government, the largest weapons dealer, by far, in the world, has as its number one customer, Saudi Arabia.
This US-funded genocide of a poor nation is occurring in broad daylight. The facts aren’t hidden from view. Genocides throughout history take on a different light after understanding the Yemen crisis. “Why did they let it happen?” is the first question after learning about some historical atrocity. It happened, and continues to happen, because no one really cares.
