Yemeni Hearing Notes

Jim McGovern:
-20 Month old conflict in Yemen over governance
-Saudi/Hadi Government launched campaign to retake government, against Saleh/Houthi coalition
-3,980 Civilian casualties from
-80% of the population is in need of humanitarian aid
-14 Million Yemeni are malnourished, according to UNICEF
-UNCHR “Majority of the casualties in the civil war can be attributed to coalition forces”
   -Largely supported via U.S military aid
   -Cluster munitions being used on civilian populations with U.S Markings
-U.S currently investigating its support for the coalition forces after the bombing of a mosque that killed 140 people


Ted Lieu
-Conduct of the military operations can be documented as “War Crimes”
-Saudi led military coalition exhibits patterns of violating or disregarding international law
-You have to apply principles of proportionality to the law of war, making the church bombing unjustified
-Question of what the U.S has done to mitigate their involvement in the war


NYT: “many strikes are carried out by pilots trained by the U.S, piloting American jets, using american munitions..graffiti walls on Sana’a read ‘America is killing the Yemeni people”
-Question of why these weapons are being used to carried out attacks on civilians



James F. Jefferey
-Washington Institute for Near East Policy
-Has been involved in scenarios such as India/Pakistan-Kashmir, Sudan/South Sudan
-Also conflicts with larger context- Yemen is this case

-Move the Saudi’s to a higher conduct of carrying out military action
-Heard repeatedly that they fear Iran, Syria, and the stability of the region as a whole.
-The Saudi’s will continue this campaign with or without U.S Support
-First Question is: Who are the Saudi’s fighting in Yemen?
   -Houthi Rebels; not under control of Iranians, but military alliance, tend to be strengthened like Hezbollah
       -Saudi Concern that the Houthis will grow to the scope of Hezbollah; determined not to be in the position that Israel is.
        -U.S needs to fight the war in a different way, without targeting civilians and collateral damage
-The lack of action given to Syria has made the U.S focus on its priorities in maintaining an alliance with the Saudis


Scott Paul
-OXFAM Senior Policy Advisor
-4/5 people in Yemen need life-saving humanitarian assistance
-All armed actors in Yemen have demonstrated their disregard for Yemeni Citizens
-Independent Experts concluded 1/3 airstrikes between 3 months took out 16 of civilian hospitals
-Farms, factories, warehouses, and powerplants are all frequently damaged in airstrikes
   -Major source of employment in Yemen
-Relies on imports for 90% of its food needs
-Banking crises has halted the salaries to 1.2 million civil servants
-Despite continuation of airstrikes and ongoing pattern of civilian casualties, U.S support will continue


Michael Bauer
-Humanitarian Leadership and Response Vice President

-21.2 Million people in need of humanitarian assistance
-Cessation of hostilities is necessary, but still faces challenges beyond that
-“The longer the war rages on, the longer the humanitarian crises rages on”
-in Taiz, worst fighting in the war
-Yemen was already the poorest country in the M.E; figures are at an all-time low
   -Famine is only one step away in some parts of the country
   -14.4 Million people are food insecure
   -Vast majority of citizens lack access to water and sanitation
  -Of the 10,000 children screened, 7% were found to be malnourished, double what was expected
 -The central bank has become a political pawn between the two factions, crippling the economy at large
-Imports of basic commodities into the country are scarce, facing embargoes at the ports
-1/4 of the companies in Yemen have closed, 70% decline in workforce
-1.2 Million breadwinners and 7 million dependents have not seen wages in 3 months
-45% of health facilities fully functional due to damage
-Currently a few seaports face long import processes
-Mercycorp along with other agencies required US to use its leverage to have Saudis comply with International law
  -Long string of attacks Saudi’s have perpetrated on vital infrastructure
-Introducing more weapons could ex

Recommendations:
1.Commit $1.6 Billion to Food for Peace account for FY2017
   -Congressional support for Community Development Fund; Ensures food programs are operated effectively
-Maintain high levels account for humanitarian needs
   -$2.8 Billion for
   -3.2 Billion
-Urge U.S Treasury and Department of State to work with central bank of Yemen to cooperate between two factions
  -Fix and address the need for essential services

	1. Logistical solutions to address Yemen’s seaports, to hasten the flow of goods to citizens
	2. Ask the U.S Administration to implement a review of its cooperation with the Saudi coalition, in an effort to comply with UN international law and minimize civilian casualties
	3. Support a transparent investigation into violations of international law, via security council under the auspices of the OHCHR


Yemen is at a critical junction but I have hope for its future



Krista Zimmerman
-Save the Children, Associate Director for International Humanitarian Policy
-UN Security Council has identified 6 violations against children in Yemen, the “Grave Violations”
-Killing and maiming, child soldiers, sexual violence, abduction of children, etc
-3,000 Child Casualties, not including Funeral attacks in october
-60% of Child deaths to Coalition airstrikes
-“I was playing in the street, and one of my friends found a strange thing on the ground. he was playing with it when it started to shoot fire, then it exploded.”
-240 Attacks on Schools and Hospitals since March 2015
-In order to improve conditions for Children in Yemen, 2 important changes
   1) U.S continue to engage and support the OHCHR; adequate resources, child rights experts. Its current setup must be accelerated
   2) De-facto war on children happening around the world. The U.S Government should take a stronger stand on protecting children during conflict. Public expression of concern for use of explosive munitions, and working on the current declaration to reduce the use of these.


Sunjeev Berry
Advocacy Director for MENA, Amnesty International
-Since the conflict began, researchers have conducted multiple efforts in Yemen; War crimes by the Saudi coalition and the Houthi armed group
-Witnesses saw the bombing of Doctors Without Borders location. Identified as U.S-manufactured bomb
-Launching attacks from or near hospitals, laying internationally banned landmines that have killed dozens of civilians