Congress: Stop the Sale of American Weapons of Mass Starvation

Raymond C. Offenheiser

In the Yemeni town of Khamer, finding money for food is a daily struggle. Many of the town’s residents used to work in the cement factory in the nearby city of Amran, but since May 2016, the factory has been closed. The main obstacle to its operation? Whenever the plant tries to open, Saudi Arabia threatens or carries out airstrikes with U.S.-made precision bombs. Last month, President Trump announced that he planned to sell Saudi Arabia more of these weapons. Congress should say no.

The impact of American precision bombs on surrounding communities like Khamer has been devastating. In addition to employing more than 1,500 people, the cement factory gave generously to support local schools, sanitation systems and water distribution. Following the factory’s closure, the inhabitants of Amran need help from Oxfam and other humanitarian agencies as they face water-borne disease, malnutrition and possibly starvation.

Fatima, 37, and her child sitting outside their tent exposing themselves to the sun light to try and
keep them warm. Huth camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Oxfam has been working in the camp since late2015, providing humanitarian assistance to displaced people with safe drinking water and other lifesaving humanitarian aid. Credit: Mohammed Al-Mekhlafi/Oxfam

Yet Khamer is not even one of the hardest-hit areas in Yemen, and that should tell us all we need know about the country’s appalling situation. Seven million people in Yemen are on the verge of famine today, with a child under five dying every 10 minutes from preventable disease (another child will have died by the time you finish this article). More people in Yemen need aid to survive than in any other country, and all this has happened right under our noses. In fact, the United States government has done more than just watch: It supported the Saudi-led coalition, providing them with weapons and support while shielding them from international scrutiny.

The Saudi-led coalition, the Houthis and other armed groups have fought a war of attrition. Together, they have destroyed Yemen’s economy, leaving some 30 percent of the population without the government salaries they depend on and slashing the value of Yemen’s currency. Businesses like Amran’s cement factory have been devastated by the war, especially by Saudi airstrikes, leaving communities around them with nothing. All parties to the conflict have callously disregarded civilian life on the battlefield and obstructed life-saving aid. The Saudi-led coalition in particular is imposing a cruel de facto blockade, choking off the supply of food and fuel. In short, both sides’ tactics have left Yemenis with very little money to buy increasingly expensive food, clean water and medical treatment. Each side is betting that it can outlast the others, confident that they can overcome international outrage over civilian deaths. To our great shame, little outrage has materialized.

Nemah, 42 years old, has been displaced with her husband and five children to Bir Alhasee village in
Abs district because of the war. The family now lives in a small tent that they built themselves, which barely protects them from the cold and the weather. Credit: Oxfam

On May 19, President Trump announced the sale of more than $110 billion in arms to Saudi Arabia, including $510 million in precision-guided bombs. The Saudi-led coalition has used these same weapons of mass starvation to destroy countless factories like Amran’s, as well as hospitals, bridges, roads, farms, and Yemen’s most important port, where more than 70 percent of its food normally enters the country. The destruction of each of these sites pushes food and medicine ever further out of reach for Yemenis.

Yet, selling these bombs will push Yemen closer to famine even if they are not used against civilian targets. Yemen’s food and health crisis can only be truly addressed when the parties agree to a political settlement, and right now none of them have an incentive to compromise. Just a month ago, Saudi Defense Minister and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman noted that “a long war is in our interest,” citing support from the U.S. and other international partners. The Kingdom is reluctant to end the conflict with anything but a clear win, no matter how many Yemenis die. Selling precision-guided bombs doesn’t just signal unconditional support for this reckless strategy; it puts an American stamp on starvation in Yemen.

Murad is 22-year-old father of two. Before the war, he used to live in Saada city. He finished school early and got married and worked in a shop. He was forced to flee to Khamer city when the conflict escalated two years ago.
‘’When the war started, there was an air strike that targeted the military compound near our neighborhood. I was in the shop at the time, my wife and children were really scared! Until now, whenever they hear an aircraft, they start screaming, they think it will target them,’’ explains Murad. Credit: Moayed Al Shaibani/Oxfam

We must stop the sale to send the right message to America’s Saudi partners: We will no longer provide unconditional support for an endless conflict that is pushing millions of Yemenis toward famine. Senators Rand Paul and Chris Murphy and Representatives Justin Amash and Mark Pocan have put forward resolutions in Congress to do just that. By withholding a tiny piece of a massive $110 billion arms sale, Congress would confirm a strong U.S.-Saudi relationship but not an unlimited one. On the other hand, doing nothing would confirm once and for all America’s indifference to Yemen’s devastation.

Raymond C. Offenheiser is the president of Oxfam America.