One civilian has been killed every three hours in fighting in Yemen since the beginning of August, with many more people succumbing to disease and hunger, Oxfam said today. The Saudi-led coalition and the internationally-recognized government are battling with the Houthis to control key ports and cities in the country.
Germany has halted arms sales to Saudi Arabia in the wake of the killing of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi embassy in Istanbul, and has called on all EU States to do the same. Oxfam is calling on the US, UK and other governments to suspend arms sales to the Saudis because of their disregard for civilian lives in the war in Yemen.
Yemenis face the triple threat of war, disease and hunger. Between August 1and October 15, 575 civilians were killed in the fighting, including 136 children and 63 women. There have been more than 1.1 million cases of cholera in the last 18 months, with over 2,000 of those proving fatal. And there have been over 100 deaths from diphtheria over a similar period. The UN warned this week that more than 14 million could die from starvation if the war continues.
Read more: https://www.oxfamamerica.org/press/one-civilian-is-dying-every-three-hours-in-yemen-fighting-oxfam/