Yemenwar:SaudiArabia's

savageairstrikesend,but
thecrisisremains
AstheKingdomsaysitiswithdrawingfromthewar,AlistairDawberreports
onthetragiclegacyfortheMiddleEastspoorestnation

Theexplosionsweresointenseitwasimpossibletoidentifysomeofthedead.Sevenof
thebodieswereclearlythoseofchildren,caughtupbyanotherbrutaldayintheMiddle
Eastsforgottenwar.ThedeadandtheinjuredwereshowningraphicdetailonYemens
AlMasirahtelevision,operatedbytheShiaHouthirebelswhoseadvancefromtheir
mountainstrongholdsayearagonextweektriggeredtheonsetofthebrutalbombingof
theregionspoorestnation.Today,asSaudiArabiabeginsaclaimedscalingbackofits
attacksinYemen,theHouthisstillholdmuchofthewestofthecountry,wherethey
havebeenfightingforcesloyaltoYemensrecognised,Saudibacked,government.The
coalitionstrikesonamarketinthenortherntownofMustabathisweekkilledatleast
119people,mostofthemcivilians.Morethan100wereinjuredwhentwomissileshit
thecentreofthemarket,madeupofanumberoftraderssellingavarietyofgoods.A
thirdbombhitthegatesattheentrance,killingmorepeopleastheyattemptedto
escape.Itwasthepeakofthedaywhenmissileshit,mostpeoplegettheirstufffrom
thereanditwasakhattime,MustabaresidentMohammedHamel,42,wholosthis
brotherinthestrikes,told
TheIndependent
.Iwasapproachingthemarketonfoot.My
elderbrotherwasbuyingkhatthere.MrHamellastsawhisbrotherbuyingthemild
stimulantplantthatmanyYemenischew.Twomissileshitthemarket,dozensofbodies
werescatteredandcharredeverywhereontheground,hesaid.Wecouldhardly
identifythebodyofmybrothereventuallywefounditintheevening,20metresaway.
TheSaudicoalitionofSunniMuslimcountriesintheMiddleEastandnorthAfricabegan

bombingtargetsinMarchlastyearaftertheShiaHouthistookgroundfromthe
governmentandforcedittofleethecapital.

ChildrenputtheirpalmprintsonaYemeniflagasasymbolofprotestagainstSaudiledoperations
inSanaa

ThemissilestrikesinMustabawerethesecondtimeinthespaceofafortnightthatthe
Saudisandtheirpartnershavebeenaccusedofbombingacivilianmarket.A
spokesmanforthecoalitionrespondedtotheAlMasirahfootagebypointingoutthat
therewasnothingtoprovethatthepictureswerefromtheaftermathofacoalition
attack.WhatisprovenisthecatastrophethathasbefallenYemen.SincetheSaudis
begantheircampaigntoousttheHouthis,whohavehadsupportfromRiyadhsarch
regionalenemy,Iran,morethan3,000civilianshavebeenkilled.Amongthatnumberis
atleast700children.Aswellastheviolence,thecoalitionhasimposedablockadeon

Yemen,preventingmuchneededhumanitarianreliefgettingin.Yemenisfacestarvation
andanacutelackofmedicalsupplies,foodandwater.TheUNestimatesthathalfofthe
countrys26.5millionpeopleareatriskoffamine.Yet,despiteSanaastillbeinginthe
handsoftheHouthis,theSaudissuggestedthatanendtothewarisinsight.A
spokesmanforthecoalition,BrigadierGeneralAhmedalAsiri,saidthatcombat
operationswerecomingtoanendandthatthefocuswasnowlongtermplanstobring
stabilitytoYemen.Theaimofthecoalitionistocreateastrongcohesivegovernment
withastrongnationalarmyandsecurityforcesthatcancombatterrorismandimpose
lawandorderacrossthecountry,hesaid.Itisapublicrelationsstuntthatismoreor
lessinreactiontothemountingpubliccriticismofthewar,saidHishamalOmeisy,a
Yemenbasedpoliticalanalyst.Andaweakoneatthattoo.Thesuggestionthatmajor
militaryoperationsareneartoanendwasvague,whilethefactthatthecoalitionwill
continuetobacktheYemenigovernmentuntilpeaceandsecurityisrestoredwas
stressed.WhiletheHouthishavebeenaccusedofshellingcivilianareas,thereis
overwhelmingevidenceoftheSaudisdroppingoutlawedUSmadeclusterbombs.As
wellastheUS,theUKisalsotacitlysupportingtheSaudioperation.TheUKhasnow
soldmorethan6.7bnworthofweaponstotheSaudigovernmentsince2010.Earlier
thisweektheDutchparliamentvotedtobanarmsexportstoSaudiArabiainprotest
againstRiyadhsrecordinYemen.Butwheretheweaponscomefromisoflittleconcern
tothosecaughtupinthewar,whichhasbroughtacutesufferingandpoverty.Ali
Mohammedandhiswife,Safa,weredisplacedbythebombingofTaiz,besiegedbythe
Houthisforalmostayear.TheyfledtotheWadialQubacampfordisplacedpeopleon
theoutskirtsofthecity.Duringthefirstmonthofdisplacement,wemanagedtobuy
firewoodfromatraderinthemarketbutlaterheraisedthepriceasmorepeoplecame
tothecamp,saidMrMohammed.Westoppedbuyingfirewoodsincewehavelittle
moneyandlostourjobsbecauseoftheconflict.Itsdifficultforustogetbreadand
water.Hiswife,Safa,cooksonasmallpieceofiron,overafireofplasticbottlesand
smallpiecesofclothes.Shesaysshealwayshasacoughaftercooking.Ihavegone
severaltimestoahospitalandtheyalwaystellmethatIhaveachronicdiseaseand
muststayawayfromthefumesbutitsoutofmyhands,Ihavetocookformyfamily,

shesaid.Theirstoryisanexampleofthedifficultiesfacingmillions.Whileinternational
aidgroups,includingOxfam,havebeenhelpingthem,severeshortageshavemadethe
jobalmostimpossible.About70percentoffoodcomesinfromoutside,while
shortageshaveledtosurgesinpricesthepriceofcookinggasaloneisup100per
centandevenwhenyoucangetsuppliestherearestillthenegotiationswithvarious
peopletogetpermissiontomovethemaround,OxfamsdirectorinYemen,Sajjad
MohammadSajidtold
TheIndependent
.Thesituationisbadthereisacompletelack
ofsupplies.Othersagreeandfearthattheinternationalcommunityisnotdoingenough
tohelp.Itsacatastrophicsituationineverysenseoftheword.Thehumanitariancrisis
isatincomprehensiblelevels,saysMrOmeisy.Ifthereisnoseriouspushforpeace
talkstowardsapoliticalsolutionsoon,thefutureforYemenisgrim.
Summary
IllegalairstrikesbeingcalledonYemenbyacoalitionconsistingofSaudiArabia
andotherMiddleEasterncountries
UsingairstrikestotryandpushbackYemenirebelsthatareattemptingto
overthrowSaudibackedYemengovernment
Airstrikeshavedoneminimaldamagetorebels,buthavekilledover3000
civilians
Coalitionhasimposedablockade,disallowingfood,supplies,andhumanitarian
aidintoYemen,causingfamineandpoverty
FirstworldcountriessuchastheUSandUKarecontinuingtosellweaponsto
SaudiArabia
HumanRights

Article3.
Everyonehasthe
righttolife
,libertyandsecurityofperson.

Article5.
Nooneshallbesubjectedtotortureorto
cruel,inhumanordegradingtreatment
orpunishment

Article12.
Nooneshallbesubjectedto
arbitraryinterferencewithhisprivacy,family,home
orcorrespondence,norto
attacksuponhishonourandreputation.Everyonehastherighttotheprotectionofthelawagainstsuch
interferenceorattacks.

Article23.
(1)Everyone
hastherighttowork,tofreechoiceofemployment
,tojustandfavourableconditionsofwork
andtoprotectionagainstunemployment.

(2)Everyone,withoutanydiscrimination,hastherighttoequalpayforequalwork.
(3)Everyonewhoworkshastherighttojustandfavourableremunerationensuringforhimselfandhisfamily
anexistenceworthyofhumandignity,andsupplemented,ifnecessary,byothermeansofsocialprotection.
(4)Everyonehastherighttoformandtojointradeunionsfortheprotectionofhisinterests.

Article25.
(1)Everyonehas
therighttoastandardoflivingadequateforthehealthandwellbeingofhimselfandofhis
family,includingfood,clothing,housingandmedicalcareandnecessarysocialservices
,andtherightto

securityintheeventofunemployment,sickness,disability,widowhood,oldageorotherlackoflivelihoodin
circumstancesbeyondhiscontrol.
(2)Motherhoodandchildhoodareentitledtospecialcareandassistance.Allchildren,whetherborninorout
ofwedlock,shallenjoythesamesocialprotection.

DiscussionQuestion
Doyouthinkthatothercountriesshouldinterfereinthiswar,orwillthatmake
thingsworse?
WorksCited
Dawber,Alistair."SaudiArabia'sSavageAirStrikesInYemenEnd,ButTheCrisis
Remains".
TheIndependent
.N.p.,2016.Web.5May2016.