Germany quintuples arms sales to Saudi Arabia and Egypt

November 14, 2017

The German government approved nearly €450 million ($526 million) worth of weapons exports to Saudi Arabia and Egypt in the third quarter of 2017, more than five times the €86 million it sold in the same quarter of last year.

The German Economy Ministry disclosed the numbers after an MP from opposition Left party, Stefan Liebich, requested the information.

Egypt alone bought nearly €300 million worth of weapons, making it the number one export destination for German arms, while Saudi Arabia handed over nearly €150 million. By comparison, the two countries imported €45 million and €41 million respectively in the third quarter of 2016.

The ministry’s disclosure did not give details on the types of weapons exported, but a large proportion of the sales to Saudi Arabia are likely to be taken up by the sale of four patrol boats and 110 military trucks, since these sales were disclosed by the government in July.

Read more: Should Germany stop exporting arms to Saudi Arabia?

Infographic - Weapons exports in English

Germany is one of the major global arms exporters

Feeding the war in Yemen

Speaking to the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Liebich criticized the government’s exports to both countries as “particularly reprehensible.”

Saudi Arabia and Egypt have “to answer for the thousands of deaths from their dirty war in Yemen,” he said, referring to the ongoing civil war between Houthi rebels and the Yemen’s government.

Cairo and Riyadh have been supporting the government against the rebels. In 2015, Saudi Arabia launched a military intervention that has reportedly killed over 8,500 people.

Liebich warned the four parties negotiating a new coalition government — the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), its Bavarian sister-party the Christian Social Union (CSU), the business-friendly Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Greens — to chart a new course in Germany’s arms export policy. Otherwise, he said, the new government would make itself complicit.

In its answer to Liebich, the Economy Ministry warned that the “sum of the approval values in a reporting period alone are no adequate measure for a specific arms export policy. What needs to be taken into account much more are the kinds of goods and their respective purpose.”

Read more: UN’s Arms Trade Treaty ‘too weak to make a difference’

Yemen: An ever-worsening crisis

War: The ‘root cause’ of Yemen’s disasters

The UN has identified conflict as the “root cause” of Yemen’s crises. More than 10,000 people have been killed since the conflict erupted in 2014 when Shiite Houthi rebels launched a campaign to capture the capital, Sanaa. In March 2015, a Saudi-led coalition launched a deadly campaign against the rebels, one that has been widely criticized by human rights groups for its high civilian death toll.

Yemen: An ever-worsening crisis

Fighting keeps food from the famished

The conflict has prevented humanitarian aid from reaching large parts of the civilian population, resulting in 60 percent of the country’s 28 million people being classified as “food insecure.” At least 2.2 million children are acutely malnourished, according to the UN World Food Program. UN chief Antonio Guterres has urged the Security Council to pressure warring parties to allow aid in.

Yemen: An ever-worsening crisis

Displacement: Converging crises

More than 2 million people have been displaced by conflict, including marginalized communities such as the “Muhammasheen,” a minority tribe that originally migrated from Africa. Despite the civil war, many flee conflict in Somalia and head to Yemen, marking the convergence of two major migration crises in the Middle East nation. Yemen hosts more than 255,000 Somali refugees, according to UNHCR.

Yemen: An ever-worsening crisis

Cholera: A deadly epidemic

In October, the number of suspected cholera cases exceeded more than 750,000, the WHO said. At least 2,135 people have died from the waterborne bacterial infection in Yemen this year. Although cholera can be easily treated, if left untreated, it can kill within hours. The International Committee of the Red Cross has warned that cholera cases could hit 1 million before the end of the year.

Yemen: An ever-worsening crisis

Unsuspecting victims of the’war on terror’

In Yemen, violence goes beyond civil conflict: It is considered a strategic front in the war on terrorism. The country serves as the operational base for al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, dubbed the “most dangerous” terrorist group before the rise of the “Islamic State.” The US routinely uses drones to target al-Qaida leadership. However, civilians have often been killed in the operations.

Yemen: An ever-worsening crisis

Children’s fate: Future marred by tragedy

In a country paralyzed by conflict, children are one of the most at-risk groups in Yemen. More than 11 million children require humanitarian aid, according to the UN humanitarian coordination agency. The country’s education system is “on the brink of collapse,” while children are dying of “preventable causes like malnutrition, diarrhea and respiratory tract infections,” the agency said in October.

Yemen: An ever-worsening crisis

Peace: An elusive future

Despite several attempts at UN-backed peace talks, the conflict continues to rage on. Saudi Arabia has vowed to continue supporting the internationally recognized government of Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. On the other hand, Houthi rebels have demanded the formation of a unity government in order to move forward on a political solution. But neither side appears ready to compromise.

Author: Lewis Sanders IV