Yemeni Journalist: Saudi Arabia’s Total Blockade on Yemen is “Death Sentence” for All

Heartbreaking and horrific. We here in America need to know the atrocities and evil that our nation is complicit in. As my husband says, "This is not hyperbole. Our 'friends' the Saudis are engaged in a genocide, and the U.S. is complicit. What the fuck is wrong with us?"
 
I'm also moved to add another response comment on this post from another viewer that nails it: "Had the United Stated not created the false narrative of WMDs in Iraq this would have never occurred. Likewise the advent of ISIL would've never taken place. Sadly though the military industrial complex coupled with powerful governments have precipitated the very worst to come out in people, opening the doors for the very most radical. Something has to give...the madness must stop somewhere."

"The decision by Saudi Arabia or the Saudi-led coalition to impose a total blockade means a death sentence that will kill all Yemenis. If we used to warn about a looming famine, it is already there." - Yemeni journalist Afrah Nasser

Excerpted from the Democracy Now! transcript for this program: 

United Nations officials say Yemen will face the world’s largest famine in decades if the Saudi-led coalition refuses to lift its blockade on deliveries of aid. On Monday, the coalition shut air, land and sea routes into Yemen after Houthi rebels fired a missile that was intercepted near the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Saudi Arabia says its blockade is needed to stop Iran from sending weapons to the rebels. The U.N. says aid agencies were given no prior notice of the Saudi decision to shut down all land, air and seaports in Yemen. Meanwhile, medical experts warn the clampdown will worsen Yemen’s cholera epidemic, which has sickened more than 900,000 people. We are joined by Afrah Nasser, an independent Yemeni journalist who is the founder and editor-in-chief of the Sana’a Review. Facing death threats, she is in exile from Yemen but continues to report on human rights violations, women’s issues and press freedom there. She is here in the U.S. to receive the International Free Press Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists.

NERMEEN SHAIKH: We turn now to Yemen, which United Nations officials say will face the world’s largest famine in decades if the Saudi-led coalition refuses to lift its blockade on deliveries of aid. On Monday, the coalition shut air, land and sea routes into Yemen after Houthi rebels fired a missile that was intercepted near the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Saudi Arabia says its blockade is needed to stop Iran from sending weapons to the rebels. U.N. aid chief Mark Lowcock warned that if the blockade is not lifted, the resulting famine will claim millions of lives. He was speaking to reporters after a briefing at the Security Council.

MARK LOWCOCK: There will be a famine in Yemen. It will not be like the famine that we saw in South Sudan earlier in the year where tens of thousands of people were affected. It will not be like the famine which cost 250,000 people their lives in Somalia in 2011. It will be the largest famine the world has seen for many decades, with millions of victims.

AMY GOODMAN: The U.N. says aid agencies were given no prior notice of the Saudi decision to shut down all land, air, seaports in Yemen. The World Food Program said Monday, out of Yemen’s population of 28 million people, about 20 million, quote, “do not know where they’re going to get their next meal.” Meanwhile, medical experts warn the clampdown will worsen Yemen’s cholera epidemic, which has sickened more than 900,000 people.

For more, we’re joined by two guests. We’re going to begin with Afrah Nasser, award-winning independent Yemeni journalist, founder and editor-in-chief of the Sana’a Review. Facing death threats, she’s in exile from Yemen but continues to report on human rights violations, women’s issues, press freedom there. She’s here in the U.S. to receive the International Free Press Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Welcome to Democracy Now!, Afrah. I was wondering if you could start by talking about this blockade, talking about war, famine and cholera in your country, Yemen.

AFRAH NASSER: It’s an extremely dire situation. Like even before this total blockade, there were many reports that every 10 minutes there is one child getting killed because of the implications caused by the war, such as, you know, the total collapse of the healthcare system. Already there was a partial blockade imposed on many entries in Yemen for more than one year, that really exasperated the humanitarian situation because of the lack of access for, you know, humanitarian operations to operate in the country and to send humanitarian aid and send medicine and food. And so, even before this total blockade, there was a partial blockade that impacted all aspects of life. So, the recent, like over the weekend, the decision by Saudi Arabia or the Saudi-led coalition to impose a total blockade means a death sentence that will kill all Yemenis. If we used to warn about a looming famine, it is already there.

Please continue this transcript, or to watch the full video interview, please go here: https://www.democracynow.org/2017/11/9/yemeni_journalist_saudi_arabias_total_blockade