By the end of the year, the war in Yemen had killed about 377,000 people, the majority of whom were children, according to a new report from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
November 23 UNDP report A coalition of lawmakers led by Senator Rand Paul (Kentucky) is coming to prevent the sale of about $ 650 million in weapons to Saudi Arabia. The war in Yemen is described as a proxy struggle between the Iran-backed Houthi and the Saudi-backed Arab Union.
UNDP has announced that the conflict will kill approximately 377,000 people by the end of 2021. This is an increase from the estimated 233,000 in 2019. The report cites a data project of armed conflict locations and events that combined hundreds of local media to compile numbers. Reports and other sources.
“These deaths are predominantly composed of malnourished and malnourished infants,” the report said. “In 2021, a Yemeni child under the age of five died every nine minutes due to a conflict.”
According to UNDP, nearly 60% of deaths are due to problems related to lack of access to food, water and medical care. Saudi Arabia has blocked Yemen since 2015 in an attempt to steal resources from the Houthi.
UNDP also said that the war caused Yemen to lose at least $ 126 billion in potential gross domestic product (GDP) growth since 2015, resulting in 15.6 million people in extreme poverty and 8.6 million people. I presume that I was undernourished.
“If the war in Yemen continues until 2030, it is estimated that 1.3 million people will die as a result, more than 70% of which are due to indirect causes,” the report added. “Compared to a conflict-free scenario, 22.2 million people could be driven into poverty and 9.2 million could experience malnutrition.”
In early November, the Byden administration approved the sale of $ 650 million in weapons to Saudi, including 280 air-to-air missiles and 596 missile launchers, among other weapons and related training and support. The Biden administration said the sale was for defense weapons, but others have suggested that weapons could be used to help blockade Yemen, which induces hunger in Saudi Arabia.
Proponents of US continued support for Saudi Arabia have stated that Iran’s influence in the region needs to be countered. The Obama administration reportedly began to support Saudi Arabia in the 2015 war. “Place Saudi Arabia” About the Iran agreement that was being negotiated at that time.
But critics say the war is long, bloody, and uncertain. Paul introduced a joint resolution in the Senate on November 18 to block the sale, calling for the end of US war support.
“We need to send a message to Saudi Arabia that we do not approve the war with Yemen,” Paul said when. Presentation resolution. “By participating in this sale, we will not only reward actions that should be condemned, but also exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.”
Senator Mike Lee (Republican) and Bernie Sanders (Republican) have joined Paul. Ilhan Omar (Democratic Party) Introduced A similar resolution at the House on November 12th.
“The war in Yemen is a humanitarian tragedy, and US participation in this war remains undeclared by Congress,” Lee said on November 18.
Parliamentarians are also considering the provisions of the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which will end US support for a Saudi-led coalition in the Yemeni conflict. The House of Representatives has approved this provision and the NDAA is currently under consideration in the Senate.
The motive for ending US involvement in the Yemeni war is largely driven by Democrats, with only 11 Republicans upholding the NDAA clause in the House of Representatives.
In addition to Paul and Lee’s efforts in the Senate, the House NDAA clause is endorsed by conservative members Andy Biggs (Republican), Lauren Bobert (Republican), Michael Cloud (Republican), and Matt Gaetz (Republican). I did. -Fla. ), Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Nancy Mace (RS.C.), Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.), Chip Roy (R-Texas), and Fred Upton (R-Mich.).
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Kensilva covers the national security issues of The Epoch Times. His reporting career also includes cybersecurity, crime and offshore finance. This includes a three-year reporter in the British Virgin Islands and a two-year reporter in the Cayman Islands. Contact him at [email protected]