For years, the official UN estimate of 10,000 killed in Yemen has been repeated as the war’s official toll estimate. This has remained true despite huge, very public death tolls otherwise. The UK-based Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) is the latest to try to provide a more up-to-date figure.
Their number, based on open-source data, is 60,223 killed in violence, including a staggering 28,182 killed so far in 2018. The toll has been rising calamitously in recent months, but without official acknowledgement, it’s largely gone unacknowledged.
This is, incidentally, only those killed violently, and doesn’t include the even larger number of deaths from the Saudi naval blockade and the mass starvation that has followed. Though good data is even harder to come by on that, Save the Children has estimated 85,000 starvation deaths since 2016.
It is not, then, an overstatement when people say that the Yemen War is one of the worst humanitarian crises on Earth today. It is clear how bad the situation is, even if the formal death tolls are carefully kept uncounted, and the 10,000 figure is clearly misleading.
Peace talks are on. The Saudis probably figure since attacking during a truce doesn’t work, attacking after a peace treaty is signed and the Houthi really lower their guard will work better.
Still, get the peace first, and maybe it will last.
poor Yemen
the western media repeats the 10,000 estimate, when it even decides to write/talk about the Yemen war at all, which is rather unusual – Obviously too much talk about the war in the media does not serve the supposed national foreign policy interests of the US nor its criminal allies: the UK, the saudi arabians, and the UAE
I consider this not only a criminal cover up by the Western media, but complicity in war crimes against humanity….And the devil take them all
(but with the vote in congress today, there does seem to be amazingly strong sentiment against the war, which in itself is encouraging)
Seriously, we can believe anything. This new project for estimating death toll comes from another UK government funded group. Like Syrian Observatory, There is no independent source of information. All such government funded projects have an agenda . What is British agenda? Even the dumbest must have cought on with UK pompously opening military base in Oman. Once upon a time invgoid old daysvUK controlled South Yemen sultanates and Emirates — Al-Mahra, Hadhramouth, etc. as well as the port of Aden. We have given support to UAE — that is otherwise a joke of a mercenary military — to keep these rather independence minded tribes under control. It will not be long for UK to try to get its colonial leggs back in that region. Under US umbrella, of course. So, what is needed today? Get as many professional criers as possible to whip up public emotions for feel good neocolonialism.
And while our military is briefing Congress on post-war plans fkr occupation Libya style — disarmament, reconstruction — and of course, obligatory “anti-terror” operations. Translate, defeat any movement trying to fight for independence. Plans are made, professional criers are on the job, and the sheep will follow. The idea that people in this world migh want to be independent, that we should not interfere to impose presidents on them, then bomb and starve them until they submit — never enters our head. We need to SOLVE problems for those ignorant brown people, even though we created those problems in the first place. Saudis fought our war, but will be now cut out of any spoils — punishment for removing OUR Prince Muhammed bin Nayef, and iinstalling the disobedient MbS.
The desire to smack MbS is so strong that we even accepted Houthi control of Hodeidah with UN presence in latest round of negotiations.
But I am wondering if Saudis did in on purpose — being so inflexible on Hodeidah they in fact took away our ability to press Houthis into big concessions. UN missiion, unless followed up by US invasion of Hodeidah — is not victory US is hoping for.
But Houthis have — from the beggining — defined this war as American war against them, never giving Saudis even the dignity of being in charge — so that there is no way Houthis will ever allow for a creeping US invasion via UN forces. So, it is possible later on for Saudis and Houthis to cut a separate peace. That would change every calculation in the Muddke East. After all — Saudis never had a quarrel with Sana’a until US installed Hadi was ousted, and then Sauds became US ally in the unholly war to reinstall him.
But last June, Saudis removed Crown Prince that US favored, and the goals diverged. Saudis wanted certain guarantees as an outcome, US was not giving. While it is not ever going to be certain — some or the guarantees probably involved control of Aden, province of Al-Mahra, guaranteed freedom of navigation for Bab Al Mandeb. Aden was controlled by Hadi loyalists, that is — Saudi loyalists, ever since Hadi became Saudi histage.
When US responded by sending UAE to defeat Hadi loyalists in Aden and US mercenaries on assasination mission to eliminate political and tribal laders that supported Hadi — Saudis had their clear answer. It is amazing how little curiosity exists in our media. The fact that our allies were fighting each other in Aden, drew no attention. It simlly dissapeared ftom news like nothing happened. Even after our intrepid mercenaries came out bragging about killing “terrirists”, while admitting not having the clue who they really were — no real questioning happened. News disappeared into dark media holes.
Let us see if there another is Saudi plan, now that they have been blacklisted. Let me make a prediction — Saudi Arabia will be Erdoganized with “Saudi characteristics”. Meaning more focused on national interest, focus back on being the guardian of shrines and regional economic cooperation. Like proect with Jordan and Egypt. We know that both Jordan and Egypt are in debt to Saudi Arabia — and debt is being repaid through joint ventures. Egypt ceded several islands to Saudi Arabia for development. Saudis are investing in high speed rails and desalinization plants. To that end — exploring nuclear power generation to minimize use of their major export, oil and gas.
And if US continues to squeeze Saudis, neither Jordan nor Egypt will join. Last week Qatari delegation was in Riyadh. Considering state of US – Riyadh relatiions, I do not see Saudis berating Qarar for Turkish military base, and gas business with Iran. At any rate — this rapprochement is not under US auspices.
Also, Turkey will keep the Kashoggi matter up in the limelight. So when the investigation — or better put conspirators and accomplices safely out of power — time will come for a reveal. And Saudis may have an ace in their ample sleaves — if they found CIA fingerprints. Remember, first order of business was to “reorganize” Saudi intelligence. And authority was given to MbS by none other then Allegiance Council, signifying entire Saudi clan suppirt for MbS. But neocons have no other card to play. Threatening and demonizing MbS is to give signal to our assorted dependencies that he is to be shunned. While it is Trump that has to reel the Prince back into the anti-Iran focus.
I would not be shocked if Saudis keep up the anti-Iran noise, to see how much more they can squeeze out of US and Israel. This is the Middle East folks — and no better place for a bazzar. Time to watch what is going on. Our excessive meddling in the Middle East is spectacularly backfiring — yet we go for more.
If recent history is a prologue — then our latest adventure in Yemen will fail as well. Too many interests are alligned against us. Even with UK help in disinformation or meddling on Omani border with South Yemen — we can hardly prevail in the region where the strongest and largest states are not supporting Israel nor anti-Iran project. Israel is again tempted to take a bite out of Lebanon in the name of “defending” themselves. But even this may be a dangerous bite.
I am not enthusiastic about the staged oerformance in Senate. After all — Senators, just tear diwn that wall, the US Navy blockade of Hodeidah and let the whole world feed the starving nation. And why do you Senators care if somebody sends arms to starving people? Let them at least defend themselves. We are falling for a clumsy stage managed optics being designed to push for regime change in Riyadh — not feed the chidren.