Yemen in horrifying situation caused by Riyadh: Commentator
Press TV has conducted an interview with Massoud Shadjareh, a political commentator in London, to discuss the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen.
Following is a rough transcription of the interview.
Press TV: Doctors Without Borders says the Saudi airstrikes are killing civilians in Yemen. At the same time the Saudi blockade of Yemen is killing just as many people. Your take.
Shadjareh: It is horrifying. It really is horrifying. We have been sort of concerned over this for a very long time ever since the bombing started. The reality is that 90 percent of food and medicine and resources, basic needs of Yemenis, is imported and the blockade is actually creating a huge humanitarian catastrophe and the bombing adds to that. It really is outrageous that in this day and age we allow one of the richest nations in the region to attack the poorest nation in this way with no regard for any human life and dignity, and I really find it extremely outrageous that the international community is doing so little.
Press TV: Speaking of the international community, there have been calls for allowing for the safe delivery of food, fuel and other supplies. Do you think enough has been done to pressure Saudi Arabia in allowing that to happen?
Shadjareh: No. Nothing has been really done there. A lot of pressure has been put by NGOs on the international community, on the UN. We ourselves organized a letter by very prominent NGOs around the world - around fifty NGOs signed it - to the head of the UN. And indeed many others are putting the same pressure. The reality is that there should be no need for any pressure. UN is not stupid. They recognize what is happening and they know that ordinary innocent people without voice, without any ability to withstand this sort of onslaught - both on the way of bombing and these sort of sanctions - it really cannot go on and it is affecting ordinary people.
Why for God’s sake people in Yemen have been abandoned in this way? It really is mind-boggling and governments like the United States have got a lot to answer because it is their support, Western support for Saudi Arabia, which actually allows this impunity going ahead and then ordinary people are being slaughtered and starved to death.
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