Tens of Thousands in Yemen Protest Against US-Saudi led Aggression

As the war in Yemen enters its fourth year, tens of thousands of Yemeni citizens protested against the international aggression that has already claimed lives of thousands of civilians. On March 26, marking the beginning of the protected war, people gathered at Sanaa's Sabaeen Square calling for the end of the war.

Three years back, Saudi Arabia led international coalition began a relentless bombing campaign on Yemen and the Houthi rebels who ousted an unpopular government in 2015.

The war in Yemen had reached a catastrophic proportion as the country’s vital infrastructure, like health and sanitation razed to the ground in the air strikes launched by an international coalition. The situation has been further exacerbated by Saudi imposed military blockade of the country and the world’s largest cholera outbreak that claimed many lives.

According to reports, the more than half of the country’s potable water supply is unsafe for drinking.

Referring to the recent Houthi rocket launch against Saudi Arabia, high-ranking rebel leader Saleh al-Sammad speaking to the protesters said it's about "restoring sovereignty."

"Stop your [Saudi led bombing] raids, then we stop our rockets," he said.

The war is also known as the ‘forgotten’ one as it scaringly comes up in the international media and political discourse. But recently, due to increasing brutality, many western countries are trying to distance themselves from the war. Recently, Germany stopped all arms export to countries involved in the war in Yemen and Norway suspended arms sales to the United Arab Emirates for its involvement in the war.

Despite, increasing international condemnation, the United States and the United Kingdom, who are providing material and logistical support to the coalition in the war, are pitching in more arms to the Saudis.

"It is the Americans who are directing this aggression, and participating directly on a number of fronts," al-Sammad told the rally.

"The position of the Senate proves that this was an American aggression from the first shot," al-Sammad said.

Bruce Riedel, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a 30-year-old veteran of the CIA, explained that "if the United States and the United Kingdom, tonight, told King Salman [of Saudi Arabia], ‘This war has to end,’ it would end tomorrow. The Royal Saudi Air Force cannot operate without American and British support.”