The Democrat-led US House of Representatives has voted 248-177 in favor of a resolution that would end US support for the Saudi Arabia-led military intervention in Yemen.
Only 18 Republicans voted for the measure, which would ban refueling support, intelligence and targeting assistance without prior Congressional approval.
Lawmakers said they were concerned about how the US had contributed to the civil war in Yemen, which has killed tens of thousands of people.
“We have helped create, and worsen, the world’s largest humanitarian crisis,” said Democratic Representative Barbara Lee said. “Our involvement in this war, quite frankly, is shameful.”
Read more: Yemen is ‘the biggest humanitarian disaster in the world’
-
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
As of October 2017, the number of suspected cholera cases exceeded more than 750,000, and at least 2,135 people had died from the waterborne bacterial infection in Yemen in ten months, said the WHO. Although cholera can be easily treated, it can kill within hours when untreated. By October 2018, over 10,000 cases of cholera were being treated weekly.
-
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.
![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="400" width="600" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/>)
Trump not happy
Lawmakers who voted against the resolution said it would harm US relationships with regional allies and undermine US ability to stop the spread of religious extremism.
The White House has defended US involvement by pointing out that no US troops are actively taking part in the war.
President Donald Trump is expected to veto the motion if the Republican-controlled Senate approves it within the next 30 days.
Rare move
The vote marked a rare invocation of the 1973 War Powers Resolution that allows Congress to restrict the president’s ability to use military force abroad.
The Senate passed a similar resolution in late 2018, but it expired before the House began a fresh term in January. No resolution has ever passed both houses of Congress and the White House.
Alongside its involvement in Yemen, many lawmakers have also grown uneasy about Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the assassination of the dissident Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in late 2018.
amp/rc (dpa, Reuters, AP)
Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/us-house-lawmakers-vote-to-end-us-support-in-yemen-war/a-47510838?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf