At least one child dies every 10 minutes in Yemen. That’s the conclusion of a
report just published by the U.N. children’s agency, UNICEF. The report also
found that there has been a 200 percent increase since 2014 in children
suffering from severe acute malnutrition, with almost half a million affected.
Nearly 2.2 million children are in need of urgent care. This comes as the
country’s health system is on the verge of collapse, in part due to the ongoing
U.S.-backed Saudi bombing of Yemen. Since the bombing began in March 2015, more
than 10,000 people have died and 3 million have been displaced in the conflict.
The U.S. has been a major backer of Saudi Arabia’s bombing campaign. In 2015
alone, the United States approved more than $20 billion in military sales to
Saudi Arabia. U.S.-made munitions have repeatedly been found at the scene of
Saudi-led bombings where civilians have been killed. For more, we speak with
award-winning journalist Iona Craig.
|