Yemen

Yemen is currently undergoing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, driven by nearly seven years of war and a crippling air and sea blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia.

This event, sponsored by Demand Progress, FCNL, and the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, offered updates on the war and blockade in Yemen and explored measures Congress can take to help.

With lawmakers actively working on the FY2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the window for action is now.

Yemen is not just starving, it is being starved. The country is home to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis as a direct result of six years of war and an air, sea, and land blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia.

For more than six years, Saudi Arabia has imposed an air and sea blockade on Yemen that has restricted the flow of vital commercial and humanitarian goods into the country.

This year Quakers nominated Mwatana, together with the UK-based Campaign Against Arms Trade, for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize. The 2021 Nobel Peace Prize laureate will be announced on Oct. 8.

A group of Democratic senators are calling on President Joe Biden to take “immediate and decisive action” to end Saudi Arabia’s “blockade tactics” in Yemen that have prevented food, medicine and other crucial supplies from reaching desperate and starving people there.

The Saudi blockade is a leading driver of starvation in Yemen. In response to the growing humanitarian crisis, the Friends Committee on National Legislation, Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation, Demand Progress, and Just Foreign Policy sent a letter to President Joe Biden, calling for an end to the Saudi blockade of Yemen. They were joined by Actor and humanitarian Mark Ruffalo, the creators of the 2021 Oscar-nominated film HUNGER WARD, dozens of celebrities, and more than 70 national organizations.

Washington, DC – The Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation, Demand Progress, and Just Foreign Policy have teamed up with Actor and humanitarian Mark Ruffalo and the creators of the 2021 Oscar-nominated film HUNGER WARD, to urge President Biden to convince Saudi Arabia to immediately lift its inhumane blockade of Yemen.

On Feb. 4, President Joe Biden announced that the United States will no longer provide support for the Saudi and UAE-led coalition’s offensive military campaign in Yemen. Biden’s announcement was the culmination of years of tireless advocacy from Yemeni-Americans and grassroots allies around the country.