- UK Government licensed £6.3 billion worth of arms to Saudi-led coalition in first 4 years of war
- In June 2019, Court of Appeal ruled that Government acted unlawfully in licencing arms sales to Saudi Arabia
- UK Government has invited Saudi Arabia and other coalition members to London next month for one of the world’s biggest arms fairs
The most recent Government statistics show that the UK Government licensed £6.3 billion worth of arms to the Saudi-led Coalition in the first four years of its ongoing bombing campaign in Yemen. The figure covers the period from March 26 2015, when the bombing began, until March 26 2019.
Government statistics show that during his tenure as Foreign Secretary, Johnson approved £1.2 billion worth of arms sales to Saudi Arabia. This included £270 million worth of ML10 licences (aircraft etc) and £880 million worth of ML4 licences (bombs and missiles etc).
According to the United Nations, the bombing has created the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. UK-made fighter jets, bombs and missiles have all played a central role in the bombing.
Since the bombing of Yemen began in March 2015, the UK has licensed the following to military forces currently engaged in the war:
- £5.3 billion worth of arms to Saudi Arabia
- £657 million worth of arms to United Arab Emirates
- £85 million worth of arms to Egypt
- £72 million worth of arms to Bahrain
- £40 million worth of arms to Kuwait
The total also includes £142 million worth of arms licensed to Qatar prior to it pulling out of the Saudi-led Coalition in June 2017.
In reality the figures are likely to be a great deal higher, with most bombs and missiles used by Saudi forces being licensed via the opaque and secretive Open Licence system.
In June 2019 the Court of Appeal ruled that the Government has acted unlawfully when it licensed the sale of UK-made arms to Saudi forces for use in Yemen without making an assessment as to whether or not past incidents amounted to breaches of International Humanitarian Law. The Government was ordered not to approve any new licences and to retake the decisions on extant licences in a lawful manner. It agreed not to allow new sales for use in Yemen to the 5 participating military forces that it was arming.
Andrew Smith of Campaign Against Arms Trade said:
Thousands of people have been killed in the Saudi-led bombardment of Yemen, but that has done nothing to deter the arms dealers. The bombing has created the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the complicity and support of Downing Street. These arms sales are immoral and illegal.
Despite the destruction, and the Court judgement, the UK Government has invited the Saudi military and the other Coalition member to London next month for the DSEI arms fair, one of the biggest arms fairs in the world.
Andrew continued:
It is disgraceful that the Government has invited the Saudi military and other Coalition members to London to buy even more weapons. This only goes to show that no matter how dire the humanitarian crisis in Yemen has become, the Government will continue to prioritise arms sales over the rights and lives of Yemeni people.
ENDS
For further information please contact Andrew at media(at)caat·org·uk or call 020 7281 0297.
