The Humanitarian Crisis Receiving Little Media Attention

Millions of people are currently suffering from starvation and malnutrition among countries in the Middle East. Stephen O’Brien, a U.N official, says that the world is facing the largest humanitarian crisis since the end of the second world war. The country most impacted by this crisis, Yemen, has over eighteen million people in need of aid and over seven million people who do not know where their next meal will come from. In South Sudan, over 7.5 million people need aid and around 3.4 million people are displaced due to the ongoing civil war. An estimated one million children are malnourished throughout South Sudan. In Somalia, 6.2 million people need humanitarian assistance and protection, as well as almost three million people who are at risk of famine. In Nigeria, over two and a half million people were forced out of their homes, due to the actions of Islamic extremist Boko Haram. This crisis takes place in Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia and Nigeria. This tragic event started two years ago and is still ongoing today. Due to the fact that Saudi Arabia and Iran are waging a proxy war in Yemen, the poorest Arab nation on earth, has caused insurmountably high levels of suffering.

The article explaining the increasing suffering of people, through the use of numerical data, makes me ever more grateful for nutritional foods to eat and clean water to drink. Plus I am always interested in how the policies of countries with lots of power, affect those with little to no power. For example, the United States waging war on Iraq based on false pretenses of weapons of mass destruction, has caused over a million Iraqi civilians to perish. This article does not relate to previous discussions done in class. This is a fair issue to discuss relating to International current events, because the United States has an indirect influence on the matter. The United States has been in alliance with Saudi Arabia for a long time, and may dictate which leadership to support in Yemen. It is very difficult to predict what could happen in the Middle East, as military actions powerful countries initiate in create different outcomes. For example, leaked audio revealed that former Secretary of State John Kerry was in favor of extremist rebels expanding their control over Syria, as leverage for president Bashar Assad to negotiate with Washington. However, Syria’s strongest ally intervened militarily, Russia, this action de-escalated the pressure mounting on Assad. Thus, giving the United States less leverage over negotiations. As I take a look at the humanitarian crisis as a whole, I see the U.S complicit with the suffering of millions. The United States has participated in weapons deals worth tens of millions of dollars, to the Saudi regime. Human rights organizations have consistently criticized Saudi Arabia’s use of cluster bombs, which is banned in over 100 countries. These types of dangerous weapons have been sold through both Republican and Democratic administrations. Therefore, these actions by the U.S government proves that America will not stand up for human rights if it interferes with interests.