Washington, D.C. – Today, Bread for the World is delivering petitions signed by more than 30,000 Christians and people of faith calling on the Trump administration and Congress “to use all tools available to the United States to avert further suffering and death in Yemen.”
“It is a moral outrage that this scale of human suffering is allowed to happen in our time, and that the United States is complicit,” said Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World. “Our government must immediately withdraw its support for the parties fueling this crisis.”
Yemen is currently facing the world’s worst humanitarian crisis; the United Nations reports that half of the population is already facing near-famine conditions and is entirely reliant on aid for survival. At least 400,000 children younger than age 5 are at risk of death from malnutrition.
What makes this near-famine different from others is that it is entirely man-made – a result of the four-year civil war. It has been reported that airstrikes and other acts of war have intentionally targeted markets, roads, vehicles, and other means of transporting food. The economic policies and de facto blockade by the Saudi-led coalition have made the food that is available unaffordable.
The petition calls on the Trump administration and Congress to:
- End all U.S. military and intelligence support to the Saudi-led coalition waging war in Yemen.
- Use U.S. influence and leverage in the region to promote peace and responsible economic policies that will enable the Yemeni population to access and afford food and medicine.
- Ensure the humanitarian response in Yemen is fully funded to meet the immediate nutrition needs of Yemen’s civilian population.
The Senate is expected to pass a resolution to end U.S. support for the Saudi-led coalition this week. Unfortunately, the House of Representatives is unlikely to take up the resolution before the end of the year, and President Trump has vowed to veto it.
“Jesus calls on us to nourish those who are hungry and thirsty. However, humanitarian aid alone will not solve this crisis. The U.S. must lead diplomatic efforts to promote peace,” added Beckmann.
Read the petition: End the Famine Crisis in Yemen and Build Peace
