Yemen Witnessed the Largest Humanitarian Crisis in the World

The six years of war in Yemen have caused the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, as per the United Nations reports. Most of the vital infrastructure in Yemen has been destroyed, and the majority of its population, (30 million), is suffering from extreme poverty and is at risk of hunger and the spread of disease. The number of casualties in Yemen has reached 47,000 since the beginning of the war, led by Saudi and UAE.

7 years of vain war against Yemen, during which the Saudi coalition continues to commit massacres against thousands of unarmed civilians, targeting children, stealing wealth, destroying homes, markets and infrastructure, and imposing a land, sea, and air blockade on Yemen.

According to the statistics of the Intisaf Organisation for Women’s and Children’s Rights; as of November 18, 2021, some nurseries needed fuel to operate and keep the babies alive, and more than 400,000 Yemeni children were severely malnourished, of whom 80,000 were at risk of dying”, adding that “out of a total of 100,000 births, more than 27 died”.

“More than 3,000 children have heart abnormalities”, explaining that “the Coalition countries have prevented the introduction of cardiac electrical devices, and thousands of patients are at risk of dying as a result”.

Continued aggressions on schools, hospitals, and prisons

The Coalition forces bombed schools and hospitals, making Yemenis abstain from sending their children to schools or hospitals if they require treatment.

A series of massacres were committed by Saudi Arabia and its allies against Yemen, where the coalition bombed Al-Falah Primary School in 2017, in the Naha district, northeast of the capital, Sana’a.

In April 2018, the Saudi coalition forces launched an air raid on the wedding of Yemeni Yahya Jafar, in Jahiyah province. More than 30 civilians, mostly women, and children were killed. American aircraft prevented residents and medical staff from providing aid to the victims.

Saudi coalition aircraft also bombed a school bus in a crowded market in Dhayyan, where more than 120 children were killed. A picture of school bags worn by children, bearing the slogan “UNICEF” was circulated. The most prominent massacre this month was carried out by the Saudi coalition aircraft in the Libyan residential neighborhood of the Yemeni capital, where 29 people were killed and wounded. Furthermore, hundreds of victims have been killed and injured as a result of raids on a prison in Saada in the north of the country.

The United Nations documented massacres, violations and abuses, yet the international community stayed silent.

The United Nations documented violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law, committed over a period of three years, and only between March 2015 to 30 August 2017; the period during which the United Nations Human Rights Office began reporting the number of civilian casualties.

Thousands of deaths and injuries have been documented, with the majority of victims being children and women. The report states that “in addition to the bombing of markets, hospitals, schools, residential areas and other public and private infrastructure, these years have witnessed airstrikes on congregations of consolation councils and small boats for civilians. These events have spread widely. The report added that “in several cases, the information obtained indicates that civilians may have been directly targeted or that operations were carried out with disregard to the impact it would cause on civilians, and with no respect to the principles of civilian neutrality and prevention during the attack. In some cases, information indicated that no steps had been taken to limit the impact of operations on civilians. The report added that the use of prohibited weapons continues and that “minimal efforts to account for what has been committed are insufficient to the seriousness of the violations and abuses that take place on a daily basis in Yemen.

The situation worsened after members of the United Nations Human Rights Council rejected a resolution renewing the mandate of the Group of International and Regional Eminent Experts on Yemen, an international body that investigates gross breaches and violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. The Council’s decision represents a serious setback to accountability in the country.

The international community’s reservation to the demands for justice for the victims of the conflict in Yemen is shameful and contributes in many ways to the persistence of the massacres.

Immediate measures to ensure humanitarian relief to civilians and justice for the victims of violations must be made. The Yemeni Information Minister stressed that “the inhuman silence of international organisations and regimes has caused the repeated crimes of aggression against civilians, children, and women.