Instead of sending weapons to the Middle East, we should be sending food

President Trump's new arms agreement with Saudi Arabia ignores the most urgent threat in the Middle East: famine.

Yemen is on the brink of starvation because of a civil war between a Saudi-led coalition and rebels.

Sending more arms to Saudi Arabia will strengthen its military machine to further wage war in Yemen. As Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said, "many of the armaments we’re providing to Saudi Arabia will help them be much more precise and targeted with many of their strikes."
What we should be doing instead is providing food to Yemen.

See my full commentary at The Hill:

Food Urgently Needed in War-Torn Yemen

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s plea for “humanitarian assistance throughout Yemen” must be followed with robust action by the U.S. and its allies.

There is a severe risk of famine in the impoverished Middle Eastern nation. The United States and other donor nations must increase their food aid to Yemen.

The United Nations World Food Programme says there are now 17 million people in Yemen struggling to find food, with about 7 million needing emergency aid just to survive.

Read my full article at the Huffington Post:

Yemen: The Forgotten Famine

Yemen has been in the news this week after Al Qaeda attacked a military base in the southern part of the country. Both the Al Qaeda and ISIS terrorist groups are operating in Yemen, which has been in chaos from a civil war since last year.

But what has not made the news is the biggest threat of all to Yemen: famine.

See my full commentary at the Huffington Post:

UN official says Yemeni cities low on food

Food supplies are starting to reach the Yemeni city of Taiz, which has been under siege from a civil war. Yemen, the poorest country in the Middle East, has been engulfed in conflict since last year.

Read the full article at Examiner.

Yemen: struggle against famine continues

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) continues to bring life-saving aid daily to starving civilians in Yemen. WFP just delivered food Thursday to the besieged city of Taiz.

Read the full article at Examiner.

WFP, UNICEF aid cyclone victims in Yemen

The United Nations warned on Monday that Tropical Cyclone Megh is “causing significant damage” to homes and livelihoods in Yemen. The storm, with high winds and heavy rains, made landfall on Socotra Island on Sunday, killing six people and causing displacement of thousands.

Read the full article at Examiner.

Cyclones strike Yemen, thousands displaced and needing aid

The United Nations, in an update released Sunday night, says over 6,000 families have been displaced in Yemen from Tropical Cyclone Chapala. Several fatalities and over 60 injuries have been reported. Another storm, Cyclone Megh, has also just made landfall in Socotra, a Yemeni island already damaged from Cyclone Chapala.

Read the full article at Examiner.

Starvation threatens city in Southern Yemen

The city of Taiz in southern Yemen is facing a severe hunger emergency, according to the UN World Food Programme (WFP). In a statement today, WFP said the city had not received food aid in weeks. Roads have been blocked by fighting between the Saudi Arabia-backed coalition and the Houthi rebels.

Read the full article at Examiner.

Famine threatens Yemen, ceasefire desperately needed

The United Nations, in a report released yesterday, says a key Yemeni port has sustained severe damage, preventing food deliveries for potentially millions. This is the latest blow to strike Yemen, a country spiraling toward famine because of a civil war.

Read the full article at Examiner.

This food is vital for Yemen's children

When a UN World Food Programme (WFP) vessel recently docked in Aden, Yemen it came with a life-saving food item for children. The war in Yemen has placed children at risk of deadly malnutrition.

Read the full article at Examiner.

Food for Peace reaches Aden, Yemen

The United States Food for Peace program is taking action to help war victims in Yemen. A UN-chartered ship carrying supplies from Food for Peace arrived last week in the port city of Aden.

Read the full article at Examiner.

UNICEF gives warning on Yemen

There is more alarming news coming from war-torn Yemen. UNICEF, the children’s relief agency, says that deadly malnutrition is escalating very quickly.

Read the full article at Examiner.

Funds urgently needed for hunger relief in Yemen

The UN World Food Programme, in a report released today, says it urgently needs donations to feed millions of starving Yemenis. The civil war in Yemen has caused food shortages in the already impoverished country.

Read the full article at Examiner.

Take Action and Help World's Refugees

World Refugee Day (June 20) is a call to action to help millions of innocent civilians displaced by war. The UN Refugee Agency says 59.5 million people have been forcibly displaced by conflict and persecution. We have not seen these numbers of refugees since World War II.

Read the full article at The Huffington Post.

Food for Peace: A Lifeline for Yemen

Yemen is suffering through a civil war, Al-Qaeda and now ISIS. But the most powerful of enemies is silent and unseen.

It is hunger. It is malnutrition, which threatens the lives of small children. Hunger and malnutrition are growing at an alarming rate throughout Yemen.

Read the full article at The Huffington Post.

Yemen must choose peace or famine

The latest UN update on Yemen has a clear message for the warring forces: “stop causing suffering of civilians.”

Over 1200 have been killed and 300,000 displaced by the war between the Houthi rebels and forces loyal to Yemen’s ousted President Hadi.

Yemen’s war has also given strength to a silent enemy within the country: Hunger and malnutrition.

Read the full article at Examiner.

Massive challenge to feed the hungry in war-torn Yemen

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said today it's feeding 105,000 displaced persons in the Yemeni city of Aden. But the UN is warning that the conflict between government forces, militants and tribal fighters is quickly escalating humanitarian needs.

Read the full article at Examiner.

Yemen war: an update on the hunger emergency

As the civil war in Yemen escalates, so too is a hunger crisis. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that 12 million Yemenis are now living in hunger.

Read the full article at Examiner.

Yemen: hunger emergency grows with conflict

As Yemen descends further into war, a hunger crisis is also escalating. The United Nations reports that food is “scarce” in the conflict zones in southern Yemen.

Read the article at Examiner.

Yemen unrest will lead to more hunger

As rival factions battle in Yemen, the impoverished nation could spiral deeper into hunger. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) today said it’s determined to continue relief operations despite unrest.

Read the full article at Examiner.