The crisis in Yemen
This appeared in The Washington Post:
Saudi Arabia has charged that a missile launched from Yemen toward Riyadh’s international airport on Saturday was supplied by Iran and assembled by Tehran’s Lebanese client, Hezbollah. It says this could be considered “an act of war” and claims the right to “respond to Iran in the appropriate time and manner.” Yet the only action taken so far by the de facto Saudi ruler, Mohammed bin Salman, has been to besiege some of the world’s most desperate people — the cholera-stricken and literally famished civilian population of Yemen.
The press of multiple international crises and President Donald Trump’s monopolization of media attention have helped obscure the severity of the humanitarian emergency in Yemen, a poor country of 28 million that has been devastated by civil war and a Saudi-led military intervention. According to the UN, it is suffering the fastest-growing cholera epidemic ever, with about 895,000 cases and nearly 2,200 deaths since April. At the same time, it is facing the world’s biggest food emergency, with 7 million people requiring urgent assistance.
Children have been disproportionately afflicted. According to UN figures, 27 per cent of the cholera victims are under the age of 5. Officials estimate that juvenile cholera cases will reach 600,000 by the end of the year. Meanwhile, hunger has left half of children under 5 stunted, and 2.2 million are affected by either moderate or severe malnutrition.
Saudi Arabia bears heavy responsibility for this suffering. For 2½ years, it has pursued a ruthless but unwinnable war against ethnic Houthis who have captured much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa, and the largest port, Hodeida
Now, in reaction to the missile firing, the Saudis have announced a more thorough closure of “all Yemeni ground, air and seaports.” Though a government statement said it would take “into consideration the continuation of the entry and exit” of humanitarian supplies and aid workers, UN officials say that aid flights have been blocked.