The Italian government has decided to revoke, and not just suspend, the export of bombs and weapons to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, thus averting further civilian victims in Yemen.
The revocation of the export of bombs and missiles to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates is positive and important news for those who, like INTERSOS, believe that the principles of humanitarian law must always prevail over economic interests and political understandings between governments. We discuss it with Alda Cappelletti, INTERSOS Program Director, who was head of mission in Yemen, where those weapons would have caused more civilian casualties.
Alda, what do you think can happen now, after this position taken by Italy?
We hope that this decision can be an example for a similar moratorium also on the part of other European governments and that, at the same time, it will push for greater knowledge and awareness of the conflict that those bombs would have fed; making us feel, in some way, in even greater solidarity with the population that has suffered the consequences of violence for six years.
What is the situation that INTERSOS staff sees in Yemen today?
As an Italian humanitarian organization active in Yemen, we have been able to observe closely the daily violence that calls into question the responsibility of all those involved in the ongoing conflict. We see the effects of the bombings, and the suffering of millions of civilians in the north and south of the country. The direct consequences of these armed clashes accentuates the humanitarian needs of a country that is on the brink, where 24 million people, out of a total of 30 million, are in need of urgent humanitarian aid; and throughout the course of 2021, 16.2 million people are expected to face acute food insecurity.
What effect has the COVID-19 pandemic had in Yemen already exhausted by poverty?
It had, naturally, a devastating effect. In addition to hunger, and high levels of child malnutrition, the virus has created a health emergency in an area that is often an epicenter of epidemic diseases, such as cholera, dengue fever, diphtheria, to which COVID-19 is now added. Medical facilities are largely non-operative, and the few still active (less than 50%), are face shortages of machinery, medicines and health workers, and thus cannot guarantee minimum levels of assistance. It is estimated that 17.9 million people do not get adequate health care.
A war that no one talks about but that is still ongoing. What are the prospects of this conflict, according to you?
There is still too little talk of the war in Yemen, considered the most serious humanitarian emergency of our time; and worse, there is no near or possible solution. The conflict has actually intensified during 2020: at the end of October the front lines were 47, up from 33 in January 2020. There are at least 233,000 victims, of which 131,000 perished from indirect causes such as lack of food, health services, and infrastructure. In this situation, humanitarian organizations are facing growing limitations and reduction in funds to support humanitarian intervention. We cannot abandon Yemen. At INTERSOS, we are at the forefront everyday to ensure medical care and protection for the more vulnerable. Still, it is necessary to rekindle attention on the country and relaunch a mobilization at Italian and European level.