News Release

As Millions in Yemen Face Starvation, Protests at Saudi Consulate at UN

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KATHY KELLY, kathy at vcnv.org, @voiceinwild
JULES ORKIN, julesorkin at yahoo.com
Kelly is co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence. She has repeatedly been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Orkin is with Veterans for Peace.

The two are among a dozen groups now organizing protests “at the Saudi consulate and several missions to the UN” on Wednesday and Thursday. They are calling for “dramatic measures to avoid famine” and note that protesters are “willing to risk arrest on Thursday.” See specifics for actions at UN, including photo opportunities.

The groups state: “The United Nations warns that some 14 million people, half the population of the country, are on the verge of starvation as war pushes the country toward the biggest famine the world has seen in 100 years. …

“Reporting for the New York Times, Declan Walsh writes that the Saudi-UAE led coalition is using economic strangulation as a weapon of war, targeting jobs, infrastructure, food markets and the provision of basic services. [See recent pieces: “This is the front line of Saudi Arabia’s invisible war,” “As Famine Looms in Yemen, Saudi-Led Coalition Redoubles Attacks.”]

“Raytheon, General Dynamics, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin have sold billions of dollars’ worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other countries in the Saudi-Emirati-led coalition.

“Isa Blumi, an associate professor at Stockholm University and author of the book Destroying Yemen, believes the goal is to bludgeon Yemenis into complete submission and exert control over resources, including oil reserves, natural gas, minerals, and a strategic location.

“The war has killed tens of thousands of Yemenis, mostly civilians, and displaced about 3 million others.”