YemenEXtra
YemenExtra

US support for a growing humanitarian crisis in Yemen likely isn’t going away

152

YemenExtra

Y.A

The United States has spent years helping Saudi Arabia bombard Yemen, killing thousands of civilians along the way. Now members of Congress say America needs to stop supporting the bloodshed.

The GOP-controlled House of Representatives passed a resolution that tacitly says America shouldn’t assist Saudi Arabia in its fight against Yemen. The House believes the US is only authorized to fight terrorist groups like ISIS or al-Qaeda.

It’s the first time a resolution to end America’s involvement in Yemen has passed in Congress, but, crucially, the House resolution is nonbinding. That means the US will likely continue to assist Saudi Arabia by refueling its planes and providing intelligence in Riyadh’s brutal air war.

Impoverished before the conflict, Yemen has suffered greatly due to a Saudi blockade and airstrikes that have destroyed hospitals, schools, and other civilian infrastructure.

So while the resolution may not do much, it does signal a slight shift away from ever-closer US-Saudi ties under President Donald Trump — and comes at a time when the young Saudi prince who is the country’s likely next king wants to escalate the war even further.

The White House likes Saudi Arabia — which means US support for a growing humanitarian crisis likely isn’t going away.

Source: Website