Join SPC’s Beyond War and Militarism Committee for a local demonstration in solidarity with Yemen - at 4:15-4:45pm on Monday, January 25 stand with us at the intersection of E. Genesee St. and Erie Blvd. E. in Dewitt - you can bring your own sign or use one of ours.

The Yemen Crisis, considered the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, is seeded in the Arab Spring of 2011, during which a popular uprising forced long-time incumbent president Ali Abdullah Saleh out of office. Though an internal transfer of power was arranged to his Vice-President, Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, the political transition caused mass unrest. During this period, the Houthi movement strengthened, seizing control of Yemen’s capital, Sana’a. As Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and their coalition members began striking Houthi forces to restore Hadi’s government, the conflict drastically escalated.

The shockingly under-reported war in Yemen has led to the death of 250,000 people and created the worst humanitarian crisis in the world according to the UN. The war is led by Saudi Arabia, with the involvement of the UAE, but it is backed by some key Western powers – the US, the UK, France, Spain, Italy and Canada. Since 2015, the U.S. has provided significant support to this campaign through intelligence-sharing, logistical support, and selling weapons to Saudi Arabia. The coalition has dropped tens of thousands of U.S. made bombs on Yemen. It is estimated that over 1/3 of airstrikes have hit civilian targets, including markets, schools, weddings, hospitals, and economic/agricultural infrastructure, and that the Saudi/UAE-led coalition is responsible for 2/3 of all civilian deaths. The UN estimates that 80% of the population is in need of some form of humanitarian assistance, and that the conflict has directly and indirectly caused the deaths of 233,000 Yemenis at the end of 2020.

The U.S. must cut off military support and arm sales to the coalition ASAP! It is not only a moral imperative, but it is also a legal obligation to end the support of war crimes - the coalition has been condemned by international agencies for violating international human rights laws. Lawmakers never authorized this war, yet the US continues to be involved and has been for over five years. This must STOP! #YemenCantWait.