G20: it’s time to end the war in Yemen
To G20 Heads of State, Foreign and Trade Ministers, and all delegates attending this year’s
G20 summit in Saudi Arabia:
Every 10 minutes a child in Yemen dies.
This is without Coronavirus. Now the WHO is warning that Yemen could see an “explosion” of
COVID-19 cases. With a healthcare system already on the brink of collapse, Yemen
desperately needs an immediate ceasefire and quarantine measures. But this will only be
possible if the warring parties and their international backers allow for it.
We respectfully call on you to use your influence as participants of the G20 to pressure Saudi
Arabia and all parties to the conflict
to urgently agree to and uphold a ceasefire, and to build
on this ceasefire as the first step towards finally ending the war.
We urge you to focus the
efforts to finally bring forward a lasting peace agreement.
While the Houthi rebels are also to blame for much of the conflict and suffering -- especially in
regards to access and delivery of humanitarian aid -- the majority of casualties in Yemen have
come from Saudi Arabia’s bombs. School buses, hospitals and even wedding parties have been
attacked by Saudi Arabia and their allies. Over 100,000 people have died as a direct or indirect
result of this senseless war, including over 12,000 civilians.
The UN has declared Yemen the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. Over 2.2 million children
are experiencing severe malnutrition and 10 million people are on the brink of famine: they
absolutely cannot wait any longer to end this war.
Instead of the international community standing together to help end the suffering, and despite
the pleas of millions of citizens around the world, many governments shamefully continue to sell
weapons and provide other military assistance to the Saudi-led coalition.
Enough is enough.
We implore you to put our shared humanity before profits -- and do
everything in your power to finally end the suffering.
Saudi Arabia and the Houthis have held direct talks and recently completed a significant
prisoner swap -- one of the outcomes from the peace talks in Stockholm in 2018.
But progress
is moving at a snail’s pace, and the people of Yemen can’t afford to wait
. Only massive
pressure from the international community -- especially G20 countries -- can help push the
lead-up to the G20 summit, including through “virtual” preparatory G20 meetings, on diplomatic