YEMEN: Let’s do better

The United States has always valued and supported human rights, condemning other countries of atrocities when those rights are being violated.

Yet, in Yemen, those atrocities are occurring every single day. People have no safe place to live; they have been bombed by Saudi Arabia every day for the past six years and 11 months. Their food and water supplies have been destroyed, their homes turned to rubble and infrastructure is non-existent. More than 20 million people are in need and of these, 12 million are in dire need. One child under the age of 5 dies every 75 seconds from hunger.

It is a humanitarian disaster perpetrated by a country known for its abuses toward its women and those who do not agree with its politics or religion, yet the United States is not supporting Yemen’s right to exist but Saudi’s misguided attempt to destroy them.

How can we claim to support human rights and then allow this to happen? Are we putting more value in selling weapons of war to a repressive country than we are in supporting a country being destroyed by its neighbors? Who we are as a nation cannot be separated from what we do. Actions speak louder than words.

I am urging Senator Risch, Senator Crapo and Rep. Fulcher to support an end to further weapon sales to Saudi Arabia. It’s time to practice what we preach.

DONNA NORDSTROM

Hayden