Obama’s Dirty War on Yemen
Murdering Civilians
By Stephen Lendman
April 05, 2015 "ICH"
- Civilians suffer
most in all wars. Yemen is no exception. Sanaa is becoming a ghost town.
One shopkeeper said “(t)here are very few people left here.
Everyone has fled, and those who have stayed live alone without their families.”
“So hardly anyone comes to buy anything anymore.Now I’m
lucky if I make $20 a day.”
“How can I pay my rent or even my electricity bills? If
the situation stays like this then I’m sure I’ll be out of business within
days.”
According to Yemeni Post editor-in-chief Hakin al-Masmari,
“(a)t the beginning they were targeting only Sanaa, so people were fleeing to
the provinces.”
“However, now they have expended to the suburbs as well.”
Yemenis in attacked areas are trapped in their homes. They
face shortages of essentials to life – including food, water, medical supplies,
and power.
Yemen already is the region’s poorest country. War exacerbated
things greatly.
Even where food and other products and services are available,
most Yemenis can’t afford them. Survival for many is threatened.
A growing refugee and unemployment crisis compounds things.
Human misery affects millions.
The World Food Program says about 13 million Yemenis have only
polluted water for drinking and other uses.
Around a million aged-five or under Yemeni children are
malnourished. Expect the number to grow exponentially in coming weeks and
months.
The Pentagon is coordinating Saudi-led terror-bombing –
choosing targets, supplying munitions, providing intelligence, refueling
attacking warplanes, and providing other services.
Sputnik News reported US warships
shelling Yemeni targets. Air attacks struck residential neighborhoods,
hospitals, schools, power stations, a Hodeida dairy plant, and other nonmilitary
sites.
Reports indicate growing shortages of everything essential to
life.
Areas being attacked are paralyzed. On April 2,
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief
Coordinator Valerie Amos issued a statement saying:
“I am extremely concerned for the safety of civilians
caught in the middle of fierce fighting in Yemen.”
“I call on all parties involved to meet their obligations
under international law and do their utmost to protect the ordinary women,
children and men who are suffering the consequences of the conflict.”
“Reports from humanitarian partners in different parts of
the country indicate that some 519 people have been killed and nearly 1,700
injured in the past two weeks – over 90 of them children.”
“Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes, some
by crossing the sea to Djibouti and Somalia.”
“Electricity, water and essential medicines are in short
supply.”
“Those engaged in fighting must ensure that hospitals,
schools, camps for refugees and those internally displaced and civilian
infrastructure, especially in populated areas, are not targeted or used for
military purposes.”
“Despite the grave dangers, United Nations agencies and
humanitarian partners are coordinating with the Yemen Red Crescent and local
authorities to deliver emergency health kits, generators so that people can
get clean water, food and blankets.”
Much more than delivered is needed. Bombing and blockade
prevent access to Yemeni territory.
“Before this recent escalation in the violence, millions
of Yemenis were already extremely vulnerable,” said Amos.
“I hope that peace, security and stability will be
restored as soon as possible.”
Chances to achieve it are virtually nil. With Saudi-led ground
forces mobilized to invade, expect bloodbath conditions to follow.
Hundreds of thousands already were displaced – maybe heading
for millions.
UN Children Fund Yemen representative Julien Harneis calls
what’s ongoing “a terrible situation, and it is moving so fast.”
“We are heading toward a humanitarian disaster” on top of
others Washington bears full responsibility for throughout the region.
Scores are dying daily, many others injured. Children are
gravely affected.
Half of Aden’s electricity was knocked out. Conditions in many
areas are disastrous after only nine days of terror-bombing
US imperial arrogance is systematically ravaging and
destroying another country.
High crimes against peace are being committed daily. Arab
lives and welfare don’t matter.
Washington and its area proxies slaughter them in cold blood.
Stephen Lendman
lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US
Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.” http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html Visit
his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.
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