Good news! New reports suggest that the US administration has frozen new arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE. This is great news which comes after years of pressure from anti-arms trade groups in the US. It is also an opportunity for us to pressure the UK to follow suit.
Thousands of civilians have been killed in Yemen by air strikes by the Saudi and UAE -led coalition.
These attacks are carried out with weapons supplied by the US and the UK, and sustained by their ongoing military support. This war would not be possible without these arms sales.
If you agree that the UK should also freeze arms sales to Saudi Arabia, please take action now: send a message to your MP today.
A humanitarian crisis
Last week, the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken reiterated Biden’s Presidential campaign promise to “end our support for the military campaign led by Saudi Arabia in Yemen”.
Such action could not come a moment too soon. Yemen is also enduring the world’s worst humanitarian crisis: a direct result of the war.
In December, UNICEF warned that:
“Yemen is teetering on the edge of complete collapse. Over 80 per cent of people require urgent humanitarian assistance and protection. Including 12 million children, whose lives are a waking nightmare.”
A political solution is urgently needed.
A global call to action
A global day of action increased the pressure on the new US administration to keep its promises.
On Monday 25 January, tens of thousands of people came together in a global call to action against the war on Yemen, supported by more than 385 organisations in 28 countries.
Now in Yemen: Truly inspiring massive rallies across Yemen to greet Global Day of solidarity with Yemeni people, and against the US/UK backed and Saudi-fronted war of aggression.
Join the international online rally today 7pm GMT:https://t.co/9QuL4e2QHM pic.twitter.com/OYA9QNnWUU— Sami Ramadani سامي (@SamiRamadani1) January 25, 2021
As we continue to stand with Yemen, and support action by our US allies, we must also use this opportunity to pressure the UK government to follow suit.
Hundreds of us have already contacted our MPs to urge the UK government to stop the arms sales, and to work together with the new US Administration to bring an end to this devastating war. Can you add your voice?
Stop the arms sales, stop the war
The US is Saudi Arabia’s biggest arms supplier, but CAAT estimates that the UK has sold more than £18 billion of weapons to Saudi Arabia since the war began in March 2015. Over half of Saudi Arabia’s combat aircraft used for the bombing raids are UK-supplied.
“The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) is entirely dependent on American and British support … If either Washington or London halts the flow of logistics, the RSAF will be grounded.”
– Bruce Reidel, Brookings Institution
Thank you so much to everyone who has taken action to put this on your MP’s agenda. These developments in the US are a real opportunity to influence the UK government and end our deadly deals with Saudi Arabia.