Journeyman Pictures: Yemen's Children are starving
While the United States has been distracted with the rapid fire excutive orders issued by Pres. Donald Trump, and Europe is busy bracing for more refugees and migrants entering Europe via Turkey, Greece, Spain and Libya, Yemen has been ignored by the larger world. Famous for being home to the world's first skyscrapers in Shimbam, Yemen, one of the poorest countries on the Arabian Peninsula and neighbouring Africa, has been bombarded by the world's dying hegemonic superpower United States and one of richest Persian Gulf states: Saudi Arabia. Since 9/11, the United States and United Kingdom have relied on Drone bombings in Yemen, Pakistan, Somalia and Libya to fight terrorism. Many ordinary Yemenis have been killed both directly and indirectly by American drones. The Saudi government has also used the war on terrorism and fighting ISIS and Al Qaeda as an excuse to uses excessive force against Yemen. Saudi also gets a lot of its military weapons and air support from the UK and U.S. The only countries to back Saudi government up on its collective punishment of Yemen is Sudan, UAE, Qatar and United States. By extension United States, one of the kingdom's strongest and oldest allies have been silent on Yemen's destruction. Israel too, hasn't said much on Yemen's suffering despite having unusually friendly relations with the Kingdom. Saudi has created some of its own takfiri Frankensteins in the form of ISIS and Al Qaeda in Yemen by providing the literal and brutal interpretation of wahhabism, wars and psychological terror at all cost. For years Saudi government looked the other way to the spread of wahhabi interpretations of religion and revenge for the ongoing wars in Iraq, Somalia, Yemen, Occupied Palestine, Syria and Libya. Houthis and other militias have been accused of bombing and using child soldiers. Iran has continuously condemned Saudi Arabia for its war on Yemen. To add insult to injury, Saudi Arabia was placed on the UN Human Rights Council much to the outrage and condemnation by Human Rights NGOs.
NGOs want Saudi Arabia off UN Human Rights Council 2016
Now that its uncontrollable creations are constantly threatening to cross the border into the kingdom itself, the Saudi military has launched both an air and ground war using proxy anti Houthi Yemeni militias to fight against the Houthis across the mountainous country. Millions of Yemenis have been internally displaced. The more fortunate have fled to Somalia and Djibouti. Keep in mind that many Yemenis are of African and partial African descendant. Yemen and Ethiopia have historical relations and roots that go back thousands of years. Yemeni and Somali culture are similar in more ways than a lot of people realize. Many Yemenis have been caught up in the three year long Saudi led bombing of the country. From the cities to the mountainside, Yemen has seen untold destruction of cities, villages and even refugee camps. Ports have been bombed purposely to punish the Houthi rebels. In turn, many civilians are equally suffering from water, food and power shortages. Schools have been limited and some cases permanently closed. To add insult to injury, some 2.2 million Yemeni children are facing starvation (both slow and deteriorating at the same time) and non existence medical supplies. Local doctors have done all they can over the years to keep children and their families healthy. The United Nations and Oxfam international have been keeping logs of and reporting on the Yemeni children's starvation. Both have also criticiszed Saudi Arabia's excessive use of force and bombings of civilians and infrastructure. Houthis have also been criticized.
Obama's Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Yemen (pre-war)
Yemen's war originally began after the former Yemeni President Saleh was forced out of office by the Yemeni people as part of the 2011 Arab Revolution that began in North Africa and spread like wildfire to Persian Gulf monarchies and the Middle East. Yemeni people had hoped that ousting Saleh government would bring in a new government that would at last answer to the needs and concerns of ordinary Yemenis and marginalized living in Sanaa' the capital, Aden and Taiz the largest cities in Yemen after Sana'a. The Houthi rebels are popular among Yemenis for standing up against the corrupt and repressive Yemeni government under Salah and the current less popular government based in Taiz. Al Qaeda in Yemen and Houthis have been lumped together as one in the same. Houthi supporters have been collectively punished by Saudi bombings. are Shia Muslims.
Like Libya, Yemen has to deal with armed militia groups loyal to both the government and anti-government forces who refuse to lay down the arms and fight for peace in Yemen. Saudi Arabia has took it upon itself to bomb the Houthis out of existence. Even if it means bombing civilians who have nothing to do with the Houthis. Sana'a, Taiz and parts of Aden have been bombed over the past 2 years.
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