The undersigned civil and human rights organizations express their deep concern about the continued exacerbation of the human suffering in Yemen, which is entering the 8th year of war and blockade, with the tragic humanitarian conditions at all levels, the scarcity of aid that does not meet the minimum requirements, and the catastrophic escalation in numbers which threatens more than 20 million Yemeni citizens with famine and starvation, with the interruption of salaries and wages and the continuation of restrictions imposed on ports and airports.
The number of victims of bombing and siege – according to statistics issued by Yemeni human rights organizations – among children and women over eight years, exceeded 13,437 dead and injured, and the number of dead women and children reached 6312, including 2436 women and 3876 children, while the number of the injured women and children is 7125, including 2862 women and 4263 children.
As for the numbers of the displaced, it rose to 5.159.560 displaced people until the end of August 2022, within 740.122 families. According to a UN report, 60,000 women have lost their husbands, and the number of families headed by women at the level of Yemen has reached 417,000.
Moreover, nearly 6.1 million male and female students suffer from the collapse of the education system, and about 3,500 schools are either destroyed or damaged. There are also 2.400.000 children out of school, while the number of children who face interruption from education may rise to six million children. As for the number of persons with disabilities, it increased from three million before the aggression to 4.5 million now, of whom approximately 5559 are children, while the number of those affected by the remnants of the aggression increased to four thousand civilian victims, of whom about 131 children, including 25 dead, and 26 women. In addition, more than 2.3 million children under the age of five suffer from malnutrition, and 632000 children suffer from severe acute malnutrition, which threatens their lives with death during the current year. Besides, the presence of more than 1.5 million pregnant and lactating women who suffer from malnutrition, of which 650495 women are moderately malnourished.
It is known that a woman and six newborns die every two hours due to complications during pregnancy or childbirth, and the number of women who may lose their lives during pregnancy or childbirth is estimated at approximately 17.000 women.
Therefore, as the organizations signatory to this statement see, the human conscience must not ignore the suffering of the brotherly Yemeni people as a result of war, the scourge of siege, hunger, disease and death. It is also necessary to respond to the repeated humanitarian appeals issued by the vital sectors in Yemen, and more recently those issued by the health sector, as the necessity to avert a real catastrophe that threatens the lives of five thousand patients with kidney failure, as stocks of dialysis drugs are depleted from stores. There is a total paralysis of the health system, with the continued denial of entry to medical devices, necessary spare parts, first aid supplies and life-saving medicines that thousands of patients depend on, such as cancer patients, kidney transplant patients, thalassemia, diabetes, heart patients, and others. This is in addition to the ongoing blockade and restrictions on oil derivatives needed by all service sectors.
It is a human duty for the world today not to stand watching, with the continuation of the war and the blockade and their long-term effects on the Yemeni people, including on the human psyche, especially children, at a time when immediate and urgent measures are required to prevent further humanitarian disasters. That makes us appeal to the United Nations, the Security Council and the Human Rights Council, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, UNESCO, and other concerned international organizations, to work according to their legal and humanitarian responsibilities to stop this sharp deterioration in the economic and service conditions and the spread of diseases and malnutrition, especially among the categories of children and women and in most Yemeni provinces without forgetting the repercussions of cutting the salaries of more than a million Yemeni employees who support millions of families that are today on the brink of death due to starvation and diseases.
The interruption of wages, as well as the continuation of the siege on Sana’a airport and the port of Hodeida, exacerbated the civilians’ suffering and patients, in the health, food, industrial, commercial, educational and all service sectors, as a result of the difficulty of importing and the complexity of procedures that further deepened the crisis and suffering of the Yemeni people.
Based on these calls and the continuation of the painful human reality… we affirm the following:
- Condemning the war on Yemen and its perpetrators, led by the “coalition countries”, and demanding fair compensation for the destruction and losses that befell Yemen during the past eight years.
- Urgent effective and positive action by all the free people of the world to stop the aggression and protect civilians, as well as to form an independent international commission of experts to investigate all crimes committed against the Yemeni people and hold accountable all those found involved in them. We also call for the formation of an independent international group of experts to open an investigation into war crimes, and aggression against Yemen and other violations of international humanitarian law during the past eight years.
- Demanding the coalition countries to quickly pay employees’ salaries in all provinces “without discrimination”, and to lift the air-sea blockade, especially on Sana’a International Airport and Hodeida port, as a sign and indicator of peace and the beginning of ending the war on Yemen and responding to the basic requirements of its people.
- Calling on democratic forces, trade unions and civil society organizations in both the United States and the European Union to put pressure on their countries to immediately stop arms exports to countries participating in the war on Yemen in order to provide a real opportunity for peace.
- Refusal to politicize the true values and concepts of human and peoples’ rights or use them for material interests. We also stress the need to respect Yemen’s sovereignty, security, stability and territorial integrity.
- Call for the release of all prisoners, the disclosure of the fate of the missing, the lifting of the siege, the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Yemen, as well as making more efforts for the peace process and dialogue between Yemen, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
- Serious and effective action by the United Nations and its envoy to Yemen, in a way that contributes positively to serving civilians and alleviating their human and economic suffering, as well as not yielding to pressures that prevent effective and permanent solutions to suffering and increase the size of the damage inflicted on tens of millions of Yemenis.
- All Yemeni parties sit at a Yemeni-Yemeni dialogue table, under the auspices of the United Nations, in order to agree on peaceful solutions that protect Yemeni society from conflicts that tear its social fabric, and in a manner that guarantees dignity for all Yemenis, based on internationally recognized principles of human and peoples’ rights, including Principles of transitional justice and non-impunity.
- Enabling the Yemeni people to have the right to self-determination without any external interference, and to hold free and fair parliamentary and presidential elections, with the assistance and monitoring of the United Nations.
Signatories:
- Tunisian General Labor Union
- Coordination for Maghreb Human Rights Organizations (include 26 HR organizations from Morocco, Mauretania, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya)
- The Moroccan Coalition for Human Rights Bodies (includes 20 Moroccan human rights organizations)
- The Civil Coalition for Human Rights in Jerusalem/Palestine
- Union of Unemployed Certificate Holders/Tunisia
- Yemeni Media Union
- Union of Palestinian Communities, Institutions and Events in Europe
- The General Federation of Yemen Trade Unions
- The Palestinian Federation in Latin America (includes 11 federations)
- Palestinian Working Women Union / Lebanon
- Sudanese Women’s Union
- The Jordan Federation of the independent Trade Unions
- The National Union for the Development of the Poorest Groups in Yemen
- Union of Health Care Committees / Palestine
- The Federation of Women Action Committee
- Union of Palestinian Working Women’s Committees
- Watan Union for Palestinian NGOs-Gaza (includes 45 institutions)
- The Human Rights Coalition to Stop the Aggression, Lift the Siege, and Build Peace in Yemen (includes 10 organizations from ten Arab countries)
- Egyptian Coalition for Child Rights (includes 180 institutions)
- The National Coalition of Civil Society Organizations in Yemen
- International House for Human Rights/Tunisia
- The Academic Assembly for the support of Palestine-Lebanon
- Women’s Cultural Assembly for Democracy / Iraq
- Cultural Rally for Democracy / Iraq
- The Democratic Assembly of Palestinian Graduates
- The Lebanese Women Democratic Gathering-RDFL
- Jordan Coalition Against the Death Penalty
- Syrian Coalition Against the Death Penalty (SCODP)
- Iraqi Coalition Against the Death Penalty
- The Iraqi Alliance for Human Rights Organizations (includes 55 organizations)
- The Arab Coalition against the Death Penalty (includes 9 coalitions in 8 countries)
- Syrian Feminist Alliance to activate Security Council Resolution 1325
- Yemeni Coalition Against the Death Penalty
- The People’s Association for the Defense of Rights and Freedoms and the Fight against Corruption/Palestine
- Ibn Rushd Association for Development and Democracy / Iraq
- The Jordan Society for Human Rights
- Baraem Association for Social Work/Lebanon
- Al-Binaa Al-Thaqafi Association / Tunisia
- Civil Solidarity Association / Tunis
- Tunisian Association for Cultural Action ATAC
- Tunisian Association for the Defense of Individual Liberties
- Tunisian Association of Democratic Women
- Tunisian Association for the Support of Minorities
- Working Women’s Association/Jordan
- Association of the International Cultural Network for Palestine
- Women’s Action Society for the Rehabilitation of Women and Children – Gaza / Palestine
- Lebanese Association of Democratic Jurists
- Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development PWWSD”
- Women’s Association for Women’s Development and Development/ Yemen
- Association of the Development Center for Palestinian Women / Palestine
- Moroccan Association for Human Rights
- The Moroccan Association for Women Progressive
- Association of the Economic and Social Forum for Women / Jordan
- The Mauritanian Association for the Promotion of Rights
- Mauritanian Association for Human Rights
- Arab Women Organization-Jordan
- Yemeni Society for Thalassemia and Hereditary Blood Diseases / Yemen
- Association for the Development of People with Special Needs / Yemen
- Jose Marti Association for Arab-Latin American Solidarity
- Rachel Corrie Association for Solidarity Among Peoples
- Roaa Women Association-Jordan
- Chamoua Association for Equality/Morocco
- Mothers School Association /Palestine
- Mossawa Association – Wardat Boutros for Women’s Action/Lebanon
- Orient Forum Association for Freedom and Peace
- Amman Society Forum for Human Rights
- The Palestinian National Democratic Movement
- The International Campaign to End the Siege on Yemen
- The international campaign to break the siege on Sana’a International Airport
- The Women’s Campaign to Boycott BDS/Palestine
- Tunisian League for Tolerance
- The Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights
- The Algerian League for Defense Human Rights
- Association of Women Heads of Families from Mauritania
- Iraqi League for Human Rights Trainers in Iraq and Kurdistan
- The Jordanian Network for Human Rights (includes 11 human rights organizations)
- Election Network in the Arab Region (includes 18 NGOs from 14 Arab countries)
- The Moroccan Democratic Network for Solidarity with the Peoples (includes 38 Commission)
- Global Network for the Defense of the Palestinian People
- The Arab Human Rights Trainers Network
- Women’s Peace and Security Network (Yemen)
- The Syrian National Network for Civil Peace and Community Safety.
- The Syrian Federation of Human Rights Organizations and Bodies
- Committees for the Defense of Democratic Freedoms and Human Rights in Syria (LDH)
- The International Committee for Solidarity with Prisoners in Israeli Prisons (Solidarity)
- Arab Commission for Human Rights
- The Vigilance Committee for Democracy in Tunisia / Belgium
- Lebanese Women’s Rights Committee
- The Committee for the Respect of Freedoms and Human Rights in Tunisia
- Coordinating Council for Development and Human Rights/Yemen
- The International Council Supporting Fair Trials and Human Rights (ICSFT)
- Yemeni Council for Rights and Freedoms
- BRICS Friends of Civil Society Organizations/Yemen
- Lawyers for Justice /Yemen
- The Arab Observatory for Human Rights and Citizenship/ Lebanon
- Freedom Observatory in Morocco
- Human Rights & Democracy Media Center “SHAMS”/Palestine
- Al-Badil Center for Studies and Research / Jordan
- Khiam Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture-Lebanon
- Women’s Studies Center/ Palestine
- Center for the Defense of Freedoms and Civil Rights “Hurriyat” / Palestine
- Development Action Center – Ma’an / Palestine
- The Palestinian Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and Advocates “Musawa”
- Palestinian Centre for Peace and Democracy PCPD
- Palestinian Center for Cultural Dialogue and Development
- Legal Center for Rights and Development/Yemen
- Jerusalem Center for Legal Aid and Human Rights/Palestine
- EL Nadim Center for Management & Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence
- Yemeni Center for Human Rights
- Bisan Center for Research and Development/ Palestine
- Learn and Know Center for Studies and Research/Jordan
- Damascus Center for Theoretical and Civil Studies
- Amman Center for Human Rights Studies (ACHRS)
- Eye of Humanity Center for Rights and Development
- Metro Center for Defending the Rights of Journalists/ Iraq
- Gulf Institute for Democracy and Human Rights
- Yemen Media Forum/Yemen
- The Palestinian Democratic Forum in Europe
- The Cultural and Legal Youth Forum at the Arab Observatory / Lebanon
- Al-Najd Development Forum – Gaza / Palestine
- Al-Awsir Forum for Dialogue and Human Rights / Mauritania
- Bahrain Forum for Human Rights
- Sudanese National Civil Forum (includes 54 civil society organizations) / Sudan
- Moroccan Forum for Truth and Equity
- Forum to combat violence against women / Palestine
- African Organization for Human Rights Monitoring/Morocco
- Libyan Academic Organization
- The Tunisian Organization against Torture
- Gender Studies and Information Organization / Iraq
- The Arab Organization for Human Rights in Syria
- Al Mouel Organization for Rights and Development / Yemen
- National Organization for Human Rights in Syria
- Yemeni Organization for Dialogue of Religions and Cultures
- Yemeni Organization for Humanitarian Action / Yemen
- Aman Organization for Childhood and Development/ Yemen
- Insaf Organization for Women’s and Children’s Rights/Yemen
- Oxygen Relief and Development Organization/ Yemen
- Freedom House Organization to defend human rights and combat slavery and its remnants/ Mauritania
- Tahama Organization for Rights, Development and Human Heritage/Yemen
- Bridges of Hope Organization for Development and Response
- ORGANIZATION FOR FREEDOM OF MEDIAS AND EXPRESSION- OFME- HATIM / MOROCCO
- Organization for the Protection of Law and the Promotion of Peace / Yemen
- Salam Organization for Democracy and Human Rights
- Desert Youth Organization for Development and Human Rights / Libya
- World Dunya Children’s Organization
- Lawyers Without Borders/Yemen
- Advocates for Development and Freedoms Organization/Yemen
- Humanity Relief and Development Organization / Yemen
- Yamaniyat organization for women and children
- Yemeni Organization for Defense Rights and Democratic Freedoms/Yemen
- Yemen Horizon Organization
- Afkar Foundation for Building Yemen for Rights and Development / Yemen
- Al-Bashaer Foundation for the Development of Women and Children/Yemen
- Humanitarian Cooperation Foundation for the Care of People with Special Needs / Yemen
- The Middle East Foundation for Development and Human Rights (Yemen)
- The Egyptian Foundation for the Advancement of Children’s Rights
- National Foundation to Combat Human Trafficking/Yemen
- Yemeni Foundation for Independent Media
- Angela Foundation for Development and Humanitarian Response/Yemen
- Echo Events Media Corporation
- Amel International Foundation / Lebanon
- Fayd Development Foundation
- Mad Foundation for Rights and Development/Yemen
- Mada Foundation for Human Rights / Iraq
- Make Hope Foundation for Development and Relief
- Wajh Al-Hayat Foundation for Social Development and Rights/Yemen
- Yemeni Bar Association
- The National Commission for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Rule of Law- Independence / Palestine
- The International Commission for Supporting the Rights of the Palestinian People
- Foundation Sahel for the Defense of Human Rights/Mauritania
- Moroccan Commission for Human Rights
- The Moroccan Commission for the Support of the Nation’s Issues