Red cross official urges the world not to forget Yemen, other war-torn nations
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The war on Yemen has been ongoing for over 6 years as the Saudi-led coalition continues its bombardment of civilians with air raids.
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The Saudi-led war on Yemen has created the world's largest humanitarian catastrophe
In the aftermath of the present humanitarian situation in Ukraine, Katharina Ritz, a Red Cross official, has cautioned that the world must not forget Yemen and other war-torn nations.
Ritz, the leader of the International Committee of the Red Cross team in Yemen, told AP that the country is still in critical need of help.
In January, The World Food Program (WFP) reported that families in Yemen are resorting to eating leaves to survive through the aggression-induced famine.
For nearly seven years, Yemen has witnessed aggression led by the Saudi coalition, with the participation of several Arab countries including the UAE.
Earlier, Amnesty International said that the Saudi-led coalition used precision-guided missiles made in the US in its raids on Yemeni cities.
"I think our duty is to respond equally to the needs and do our best,” Ritz said. She added “I think it’s not about is it Ukraine or not? Now it’s Ukraine and Yemen and Syria and Iraq and Congo and so on. ... We have to add Ukraine on all the crises, but we shouldn’t shift."
According to multiple analysts and media sources, Yemen's crisis may only be exacerbated by supply chain delays caused by Russia's continuing special military operation in Ukraine.
According to the survey, Yemen imports over 40% of its wheat from Russia and Ukraine.
The war led the country to a $126 billion loss, in one of the worst humanitarian and economic crises in the world, as most of the population of 30 million depend on aid, according to the United Nations.
“Now obviously, we have the wheat supply, which will have an impact on the food supply for Yemen,” Ritz said. “The coping mechanism in the country is very limited, and I think that is going to be a major struggle.”
Meanwhile, the Red Cross has been permitted frequent access to hostages.
Double standards
Washington and some European allies are facing a wave of accusations of double standards regarding their support for sanctions and investigations into alleged war crimes amid the Ukraine crisis. On the other hand, the West blocks any criticism, investigation, or sanctions against obvious Israeli war crimes in occupied Palestine.
Pro-Israelis have fired back, however, saying that they are exploiting Ukrainian suffering to compare falsely.
In February, Amnesty International called on the UN to sanction "Israel" for breaching international law for its apartheid practices, committing crimes against humanity, and practicing domination over the Palestinian population. Palestinian officials and UN special rapporteurs alike have been pressing for sanctions on "Israel" for their blockade on Gaza, mass murder of Palestinians, and land theft in the occupied West Bank.
Washington was quick to take drastic measures against Russia but resisted any kind of measures against "Israel" - this includes that in some states, laws are being regulated to criminalize boycott movements against "Israel".
Read more: US rejects Amnesty International report accusing "Israel" of apartheid
Sarah Leah Whitson, the former director of Human Rights Watch’s Middle East division, said there are clear comparisons one can draw in Washington's approach to the Ukrainian war.
“We see that not just the US government but US companies are falling over themselves to sanction and boycott anything that has an association with the Russian government,” she said.
“Contrast that with the exact opposite when it comes to sanctioning Israel for its violations of international law to the point where American states are passing laws to punish Americans unless they promise never to boycott Israel. It’s very clear that the grounds for resisting sanctions on Israel, or even compliance with international law, is purely political.”
