Very little mainstream media has given any attention to the famine currently happening in Yemen and the devastating effects it has had on its populace. Despite the UN’s top emergency relief official warning that “Yemen is sliding fast towards what would become one of the worst famines in living memory,” the media for one reason or another have decided to completely disregard it.
Placing an accurate time frame as to when the famine started is difficult due to different political agendas but it has been agreed that the famine began at some point in 2016. The cause of the famine is political as opposed to geographical. It was a direct effect of the Saudi led intervention in Yemen where fishing boats, farms, and food storages were bombed to worsen the famine; whether it was collateral or intentional is unknown. But does it really matter? Since the intervention, there has been little done to re-construct the ruins.
Not only is Yemen suffering from a severe famine, but they are also recovering from a cholera outbreak where 2,556 people were reported to have died. Similar to the drought, the conditions in Yemen prior to the conflict, would have already made the region vulnerable, however due to the ongoing conflict, there was mass displacement of people who did not have sufficient supplies. Again, the rhetoric of the Saudi led intervention had exacerbated issues that pre-existed holds true throughout this case.
Things don’t appear to be getting better in Yemen. In 2017 alone, over 50,000 children died from starvation, in July 2018, there was a 25% increase of severe hunger cases. The UN News page reported in March 2019, that ‘some 70% percent of the population are food secure, marking a 13% increase from last year … Nearly 10 million of them are one step away from famine.’ Flimsy international agreements set out to diffuse the situation in Yemen have resulted in very little change. The famine in Yemen has been described to be “the world’s worst humanitarian crisis and we own it.” “We” being America and “Owning it” being in reference to the authorised arm sales to the Saudis worth $100 billion last May.
Whilst the impending future on Yemen doesn’t seem bright, optimism must be maintained. There are multiple charities, that have directed their focus in aiding civilians in Yemen. For the ones fasting amongst us at school, Ramadan is an opportunity for reflection and giving back; this would be the perfect opportunity to give some needed attention to Yemen. And as a cohort, we must remember one of the school’s key words; legacy. This can be interpreted as you wish, but go do something for the those who need it most in our world is a good place to start.
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