The War in Yemen: One Year into the Biden Administration
Channel: Demand Progress
Date: 2022-02-07

Panelists: 
Hassan El-Tayyab – Friends Committee on National Legislation (moderator)
Aisha Jumaan, MPH, Ph.D. – Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation
Bruce Riedel – The Brookings Institution
Annelle Sheline, Ph.D. –  Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft
Marcus Stanley, Ph.D. –  Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft

Event Description:
One year after the Biden administration announced an end to U.S. support for the Saudi-led coalition's offensive operations in Yemen, critical forms of U.S. military support remain, including ongoing spare parts transfers and maintenance for Saudi warplanes. As the war approaches the seven-year mark, the conflict continues to escalate and Yemeni civilians suffer the consequences. This event will offer reflections on the Biden administration's Yemen approach over the past year and discuss steps Congress can take to resolve the crisis. 

Our conversation comes at a desperate moment with roughly 16.2 million Yemenis at risk of famine. The UN warned in March 2021 that 400,000 children under the age of 5 would perish from severe acute malnutrition without urgent action. Despite growing pressure from lawmakers, civil society, and Yemeni-American activists against the Saudi blockade of Yemen, the Saudi-led coalition only allowed 5% of Yemen's fuel needs into its Red Sea ports in December and conducted multiple airstrikes on Sana'a Airport, closing the runway to UN-aid flights. The lack of fuel has driven the price of food and water beyond the reach of many Yemenis, exacerbating malnutrition and starvation. Over 15,000 Yemeni civilians were displaced by the conflict in December, and over 350 civilians were killed directly by the conflict. 
 
At this event, panelists will: offer updates on the war and blockade, the ongoing humanitarian crisis, and the US's role; highlight stories from the ground in Yemen; analyze the Biden administration's policies over the past year; and offer perspectives on what role Congress can play in ending U.S. involvement in the war and blockade.

This event is being sponsored by Demand Progress, Friends Committee on National Legislation, and the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.