Today we stand in solidarity with Yemen. At a time when millions of people across the world are concerned about food supplies and the ability of our health systems to respond to crisis, Yemen must not be forgotten.
Today marks five years since a Saudi-Arabian led coalition began bombing Yemen – five years in which Yemen’s health system has “almost collapsed.”
Yemen has no recorded cases of Covid-19 yet, but it is already enduring a humanitarian catastrophe with millions facing starvation and disease.
This is a man-made catastrophe. As Yemeni-based Mwatana for Human Rights show: “This state of affairs is not an arbitrary consequence of war. It is the direct result of how the conflict has been prosecuted by warring parties: with utter disregard for international law and humanitarian norms.”
Attacks by the Saudi-led coalition have destroyed infrastructure across Yemen. Saudi forces have targeted hospitals, clinics and vaccinations centres. Blockades have starved the population and made it hard for hospitals to get essential medical supplies.
The UK is complicit: many of the Coalition’s attacks have been carried out with UK-made fighter jets, and UK-made bombs and missiles – and the UK government has supported them with billions of pounds of arms sales.
The same is true of companies and governments across Europe. This is why we have been working with allies from all over the continent to show how this war is “Made in Europe”.
We can’t protest in person today – but we can still stand together in solidarity and resistance.
People across Europe have added their voices online
And others sent their words
to the people of Yemen – I am sorry for all that my country has done to continue this war. God bless you and keep you safe.
The misery caused by the bombing is beyond words. Conflict in the end can only be resolved by talking and bombing is so utterly, utterly futile. Of course I am with the suffering Yemenis in spirit, and CAAT bravely and resolutely tries every means possible to get the UK to cease supplying weapons for use in the war. I wonder if the CEO’s of the arms manufacturers were to be sent to stand in the middle of a bombed hospital, they would have a change of heart?
This a time and opportunity to show our solidarity against the continuing arms trade with Saudi Arabia, to persuade both producers and governments that our fight against the coronavirus shows how truly frail is the human condition. This new awareness ahould now be built on to lead to the permanent blocking of such trade and such terrible outcomes
And all good wishes to the people of Yemen
We have shown we are far more capable to dramatic and drastic change than we had ourselves believe. Now is the time to look to our true necessities of unity, compassion and integrity, and to build on this in all our future plans.
Add your voice
- Share a photo with a message of solidarity with Yemen, and messages about why you are taking action on your social media channels – here we are on Facebook and Twitter
- Use the hashtags #StopArmingSaudi #WarInYemen #MadeInEurope to follow and amplify each others’ messages!
- European anti-arms trade groups have published a shareable infographic mapping the impact of the war and Europe’s complicity in it.
- Or comment here…
