- Campaign Against Arms Trade welcomes the development of a possible peace deal in Yemen, following Houthi and Saudi delegations meeting in Sana’a for talks earlier this week. However, any just peace has to include recognition of the war crimes committed by all parties to the conflict, and it must include recognition of, and accountability for, the role the UK government has played in arming the Saudi-led Coalition.
- Since the conflict began in 2015, the UK has sold over £25bn of arms to the Saudi-led Coalition. 8,983 civilians have been killed in air strikes on civilian targets by the Coalition, with bomb strikes hitting hospitals, weddings, funerals and key infrastructure. Millions are facing famine and the situation in Yemen has been described as one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world.
- Despite the UK’s role in contributing to this disaster, the UK government cut its aid budget to Yemen by almost 60% in 2021, and overall aid budget from 0.7% to 0.5% of Gross National Income. This urgently needs to be reinstated to make reparations to the Yemeni people and to ensure that there is a chance of rebuilding society and lives in a country devastated by the conflict.
Emily Apple, CAAT’s Media Coordinator stated:
“Any moves towards creating a lasting peace in Yemen are obviously welcomed. However, for a lasting and just peace, recognition is needed of the role that the UK and other Western countries have played in prolonging and aggravating the conflict.
“The UK government and British arms companies have prioritised profit over people’s lives. They have been complicit in war crimes and contributed to one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters. The role of the UK government in this conflict must not be forgotten and it would be unjust for the Yemeni people if this is not acknowledged in any peace settlement.
“Despite licensing billions of pounds worth of arms, the UK government has cut its aid budget. At the very least, these cuts need to be reversed as a lasting peace will only come if Yemen is given the means to start rebuilding the damage of a brutal eight year war that has been aided and abetted by the UK government”.
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