The U.S. Role in Bombing Campaign in Yemen

Feb 28

Last updated March 2019

Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have led a coalition of nine Arab countries in an aerial bombing campaign against Ansar Allah (Houthi) rebels in Yemen. The Saudi/UAE-led coalition has relied heavily on military and logistical support from western allies, including the United States. The bombing campaign has killed tens of thousands of civilians and devastated critical civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, farms, roads, and bridges. A coalition-imposed naval blockade on major ports in Houthi-controlled areas has obstructed imports of vital food and medical supplies to Yemen. Today, the war-ravaged country faces a massive humanitarian crisis in which nearly 12 million people are on the verge of famine and 85,000 children may have died of hunger and preventable disease.

In March 2019, Yemeni human rights organization Mwatana, the University Network, and Dutch peace organization PAX released a report (below) documenting the role of U.S. and European weapons in Saudi/UAE-led coalition attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Yemen. University Network undergraduates have also created several advocacy tools to highlight the U.S. role in the conflict, including an interactive map of coalition airstrikes created with GIS mapping technology.