In the spring and summer of 2016, a wave of idealism struck the young hearts of new voters. Many previously uninterested and apathetic teenagers were suddenly experts on domestic policies from the living wage to the “Medicare for all” health care system. As I caught onto the wave of idealism, I decided that I had the power to do something about civilian casualties in Yemen. With a small group of friends, we created a group called “Students For A Democratic World” and started a petition to bring attention toward the ongoing violence in Yemen.

The petition died by the end of the second week.

While feelings of disappointment hit hard, I also came to the realization that the conflict in Yemen is widely unknown. As I discussed the 10,000 casualties in Yemen, one person, in denial, asked, “If this were as bad as you say, why haven’t I heard about it on CNN or ABC?”

That’s exactly the problem. The problem is not that people are willfully ignorant; rather, the problem is that the media we trust will rush to sensationalize news for clicks. The immediate effect of lack of information is a deadly silence that allows these problems to grow.

Before we discuss the reasons behind the gross underreporting of the conflict in Yemen, we need a full understanding of the situation, its history, and the involvement of the West.

The conflict in Yemen began the same way many other current conflicts in the Middle East began, with a failure in transition of power. In the fall of 2011, the then President Ali Abdullah Saleh was forced to transfer power to the now, internationally recognized, President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi. In the ensuing years, President Hadi struggled to lead over a heavily fractioned Yemen, with a separatist movement in the south and loyalists to former President Saleh. This set the stage for a civil war in Yemen to begin in 2015, with Shia Houthi rebels against those loyal to President Hadi. As the Houthi rebels advanced to remove Hadi from power, Saudi Arabia began an intervention effort. They believed that the Iranians were arming the Houthis, with little evidence I might add, and so, with an international coalition that included the United States, United Kingdom, and other western countries, Saudi Arabia began an airstrike campaign that goes on until this day.[1]

This mix of international powers easily set the stage for this to become a proxy war, where the imperialist intentions of the West and Saudi Arabia destroy the lives of civilians, children included. As of now, over 10,000 civilians have either been killed or wounded due to Saudi airstrikes, which I emphasize has been fully supported by the United States and other Western allies.[2] But of course, that is just a number, and it is difficult to feel an emotional connection with any of these people. The brutality imparted on Yemenis by the West and Saudis goes beyond the airstrikes that kill people instantly. It extends so far as to make living worse than death. According to a recent report from the Independent, “there is substantial evidence emerging that the Saudis and their ‘coalition’ allies … are deliberately targeting Yemen’s tiny agricultural sector in a campaign which, if successful, would lead a post-war Yemeni nation not just into starvation but total reliance on food imports for survival.”[3] Not only is the coalition starving poor Yeminis into complete dependence, but the restriction of much needed resources from coming into the country has inflicted suffering onto children and the worst off. According to Global Research, “Over 150 health centers providing food for almost half a million at-risk children shut down – as well as 158 outpatient clinics for children under age five.”[4] This is a reality for civilians in Yemen, and this is all due to the proxy war that the U.S. actively participates in.

Oh right, did I forget to mention that?

It is no longer the case that Saudi Arabia is the only one participating in airstrikes, simply using Western weapons. Just this month, the U.S. launched its first strike in Yemen, fully engaging us in the genocide in Yemen.[5]

With over 10,000 deaths, a full out proxy war in the Middle East, involvement from the Iranians, the West and Saudi Arabia, and even ISIS, you would think the media would cover the story, right? Sadly, you would be mistaken.

On one side of the issue, there is an understandable difficulty in reporting from Yemen. Media is restricted from entering on both sides, and both sides have proven to be hostile towards those who support the opposing side.[6] On the other hand, there is a significant amount of information to be reported on U.S. involvement in the war and human rights violations that dwarf those of ISIS. In fact, even though we are so worried about ISIS spreading, but this war has made Yemen a safe haven for ISIS and other terrorist organizations.[7] Due to this information, all of which is reported by smaller news organizations, there is no excuse for the mainstream media to not mention it. However, they remain silent.

As we have remained silent, we allowed Saudi Arabia, against all logic, to become the head of the U.N. human rights watch council, so that the international agency set up to stop human rights violations, does the exact opposite.[8]

As the 2016 presidential election comes to a close, the interest in social and political issues cannot come to a close with it. While most of the media has failed to supply us with information concerning the war in Yemen, we have access to an entire world of unrestricted information in our pockets, via smartphones. We cannot afford to remain silent. It is that very silence that pardons the U.S. and our Saudi allies from culpability in the Yemeni genocide. Only when we speak out can we take the first step in checking our aggression in Yemen.

[1] BBC; “Yemen Crisis: Who Is Fighting Whom?” (October 14^th, 2016); BBC News; Middle East; Accessed on October, 27^th, 2016;http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29319423

[2] Norton, Ben; “Despite 10,000 civilian casualties in Yemen — 13 per day — U.S. reaffirms support for Saudi Arabia;” (September 2^nd, 2016); Salon, Accessed on October 27^th, 2016; http://www.salon.com/2016/09/02/despite-10000-civi...

[3] Fisk, Robert; “Saudi Arabia ‘Deliberately Targeting Impoverished Yemen’s Farms and Agricultural Industry;” (October 23^rd, 2016); The Independent, UK; Accessed on October 27^th, 2016; http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-eas...

[4] Lendman, Stephen; “US/Saudi Genocide In Yemen;” (June 7^th, 2015); Global Research, Accessed on October 27^th, 2016;http://www.globalresearch.ca/ussaudi-genocide-in-y...

[5] Emmons, Alex; “U.S. Enters Yemen War Directly for the First Time With Attack on Houthis;” (October 13^th, 2016); The Intercept, Accessed on October 27^th, 2016;https://theintercept.com/2016/10/13/u-s-enters-yem...

[6] Latorraca, Matteo; “The Difficulties of Media In Covering The War In Yemen;” (September 2^nd, 2016); EastOnline, Accessed on October 27^th, 2016;http://www.eastonline.eu/en/opinioni/open-doors/th...

[7] Boardman, William; “US-Saudi Terror in Yemen Dwarfs ISIS Attacks in Europe;” (March 28^th, 2016); Free Press; Accessed on October 28^th, 2016;http://freepress.org/article/us-saudi-terror-yemen...

[8] Human Rights Watch; “UN: Suspend Saudi Arabia From Human Rights Council;” (June 29^th, 2016); https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/06/29/un-suspend-sau...