Children are dying of hunger in Yemen right now

[27pounds17]

www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/nov/02/end-war-yemen-children-conflict-escalates-around-hodeidah-hospital

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/02/children-dying-war-zones-targeted-impunity

AIBU to wonder how in this day and age this is still happening? What is the UK doing and are we selling arms to the region? It's absolutely heart breaking, what can we do?

From the article

Words cannot do justice to the moral depravity on display. Children are deliberately targeted for killing, abduction, rape and recruitment into armed groups. Others are treated as “collateral damage” in attacks on civilian infrastructure. Schools – and schoolchildren – are regarded as legitimate military targets. They are bombed in their classrooms or, especially if they are girls, assaulted for the crime of attending school. Obstructing humanitarian aid is now a standard military tactic, depriving children of access to food and medical aid

Even if I want to donate money I have no idea who the good guys are to donate to any more

I have a month DD to medecins sans frontiers as at least they DO help in such sites

OP I agree it’s incredible evil and yes we know that British based firms generate a good deal of revbue from selling to The Kingdom

It’s not that I don’t care . But feel completely and utterly helpless in the face of this

It does seem to be somewhat quite media wise and I wonder why when one journalist killed by the same regime had such an outcry

Thanks for posting this . It’s imprtant

Typos - cold hands . Sorry

It doesn't have to be one or the other; vulnerable animals and vulnerable children both deserve compassion and help.

I don't understand why there has been such an international outcry about the murdered Saudi journalist when we know the Saudi regime are barbaric, murderous tyrants. They've been showing that to us with their bombing of Yemen and we facilitate it. UK needs their money.

I recently learnt that Saudi Aramco make more money than Exxon , Shell , Chevron

One county’s output is more than the largest mega oil and gas firms global operations

The power they have is unbelievable and explains why they get away with so much

They power the world

I'm in France and the situation in Yemen has only been mentioned briefly It is utterly heartbreaking.

I trust and donate to médecins sans frontières. But the situation is really catastrophic... It's horrible

My boss at work has told us we're going to be collecting for the children of Yemen instead if Children In Need. She didn't say which charity the money would go to. Should I suggest Médecins Sans Frontières?

It isnt just Yemen - there are so many places that children are starving. Dying. It’s all horrific.

the saudis are untouchable while they control the selling of oil and the buying of arms.
Countries such as UK and USA only pay lip service to condemnation of saudi atrocities bccause it is money over morals. Every. Time.

I just found out that Theresa May’s husband’s firm profited from recent Saudi massacre of 40 school children in Yemen.

evolvepolitics.com/theresa-mays-husbands-firm-profited-from-saudi-massacre-of-40-school-children-in-yemen/

I had no idea. Scary.

My work consults for these sectors

Not necessarily all the names in that article but some , and some we are actively targeting

Very very glad I read this thread and all the articles . It’s been a sobering eye opener

They sell products that are sold and used to target a bus full of little boys . And blast said little boys into so many pieces.

Fuck me , we know this and yet ....

OP - nothing surprises or shocks me any more. I just feel increasingly disgusted with all people in power: those who cause harm and those who don't try to stop it. But what can an ordinary person do other than throw a few quid at it? Our MPs/Government/Opposition don't listen to us. We are powerless.

It is so awful. I listened to a report about the bus bombing (it was on the BBC World Service podcast). The boys killed and injured were all of junior school age.

The headmaster of the school said the boys were like sons to him and he was just looking out at all the empty desks that they had once occupied.

This was in the same week that the Khashoggi murder made the news.

I think as ordinary people we do what we can. It won't solve the problem in its entirety, or the root cause of the problem, profits over people, but if aid reaches one child or one family because of what we do then surely it's worth it?

I do think people feel utterly powerless. I care very much about Yemen and I feel as if I was banging on about Syria too for years. I'd just get no response on social media. It is abhorrent - I can't imagine how people are suffering in Yemen. It is absolutely heartbreaking

But why are you more moved by the terrible plight of children in Yemen than by the terrible plight of children in other parts of the world since the beginning of any kind of international news??

I am 60 now and remember crisis after crisis. It has been happening since the dawn of time. It will continue to happen everywhere in the world for an infinite number of reasons, to a greater or lesser scale.

The truly terrible truth is that you can do nothing to stop it. Ever.

You can give yourself a "feelgood" by donating, but make a real difference? Nah.

It is a terrible truth. Survival is a hard, hard environment

Survival is a hard, hard environment

Theresa, is that you dear?

I live in Egypt and it is constantly in the news here

I live in the country next door to Yemen and have done for decades. I have family and friends who treat the worst of the casualties who are flown here for treatment. There isn’t a person who comes into any contact at all with the patients on these medivacs who’ll ever forget what they’ve seen.

Im not sure at all how some people didn’t notice until now what’s going on in Yemen.

Yes, it is crisis after crisis. No individual can solve it, it's too big.

But it's like the story of the stranded starfish on the beach. You can't save them all, but if you just help one it means everything to that individual.
One death is a tragedy, one million deaths a statistic - that well known, humanitarian, Stalin.
If one pound equals one high calorie food sachet, that's one child who lives. We are only individual, we have to set out focus on that scale.

I agree 7 days

Humans have always fought each other, now there are better weapons to kill more easily. There are also more humans so each war kills more people.

The population of humans is more than double what it was 50 years ago the environment is being destroyed as are all other life forms, fighting will get worse, not decrease this century as the environment can no longer support the vast numbers of humans, with global warming and lack of water.

There is a petition here www.warchild.org.uk/get-involved/stop-selling-weapons

Thank you Harrykanesrightsock. I have to say I find BMW6's views really shocking even though I know a few people who think like that. I have never understood the lack of compassion, it's such a resigned dystopian view of the world.

"Survival is a hard, hard environment" - made much harder by people who have no love lost for the suffering of others. I agree with 7Days but I also realise that I must be hypocritical as I live a privileged life and probably through my choices (through who I bank with, what I buy, that I drive a car, which relies on petrol and what I don't get involved in) passively contribute to some of these going ons.

I still find it incredibly shocking that Theresa May, through her husband, directly benefits financially from bombings in the region. Isn't that a massive conflict of interest?

still find it incredibly shocking that Theresa May, through her husband, directly benefits financially from bombings in the region. Isn't that a massive conflict of interest?

I would say indirectly as they are investments so probably spread

What it does show is how reliant we are in this type of money

I am going to sign some petitions too and do some more research

Better late than never

The western media is a disgrace we are kept in the dark to do much that's going on in the world while we analyse the ins and outs of Brexit to infinity

I have to say I find BMW6's views really shocking even though I know a few people who think like that. Many of us lived through the excruciating hard sell of Live Aid,. I was never sure why being driven home tonight was relevant but that song, those images became the soundtrack and wallpaper of our lives for over a year.

We had our eyes opened to the true plight of much of the world, gave a lot of ourselves to make a difference and then, over the years, realised that no amount of aid was ever going to make a difference, so we stopped supporting those who try to send it!

I too realised that, like much of the holiday volunteering opportunities these days, much of the charity sector is set up to give us a feel good buzz, regardless of the realities. I doubt any of those charities like that, but it is their standard way of working. When you read stories of aid stuffs being left to rot on waysides, monies being diverted into the pockets of the ruling elite, let alone the CEOs of the charities themselves, you just stop giving.

I looked for more specific ways to make a difference, as I said upthread. The only difference in what I posted and what BMW posted was that they didn't stop to spare your feelings of "OMG what a horribly compassion free person!"

You couldn't be further from the truth for many people who think as BMW posted. I know quite a few others who think the same and it is born out of a hard headed realisation of the truth! Many parts of Africa cannot support the people who live there. The solution is not aid, the solution is a different government, a different way of living, a different everything

Think about it next time you buy green beans for your tea... the label of origin will probably horrify you!