[Peace] Fwd: Yemen Press Advisory

Sat May 6 01:30:01 UTC 2017

Peace activists in Chicago will have an event in the streets to raise
consciousness about the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. They'll also be
asking the passers-by to contact their representatives demanding the U.S.
to stop assisting Saudi Arabia in its bombing and blockade of Yemen that
will soon lead to widespread famine.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Voices for Creative Nonviolence <info at vcnv.org>
Date: Fri, May 5, 2017 at 5:34 PM
Subject: Yemen Press Advisory
To: niloofar.peace at gmail.com

*PRESS ADVISORY:*

On Tuesday, May 9th, from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. members of Voices in the
Wilderness and World Beyond War will engage passers-by outside the
Kluczynski Federal Building (230 S. Dearborn) in a “penny poll” regarding
humanitarian relief for war and famine-stricken Yemen. The poll device
contains series of tubes which represent how people would like to direct
U.S. funds. UN officials say that 17 million Yemenis lack access to food, 7
million of whom are on the brink of famine. A Saudi-led coalition,
supported by the U.S., has steadily bombed Yemeni cities, towns and
infrastructure since March of 2015. The Saudis have also imposed a naval
blockade on the country, aiming to starve and eliminate Houthi tribal
rebels who have been party to a civil war with Yemen’s president and his
supporters.  The Saudis claim the Houthis are supported by Iran. Saudi
Arabia’s Minister of Defense recently said that his country will be able to
tire the tribal fighters out through prolonged conflict.
*Press Release*
*For immediate release**     May 5, 2017           *
*Contact:*
*Kathy Kelly  Kathy at vcnv.org <Kathy at vcnv.org>   **773-619-2418
<(773)%20619-2418>*;
*Mary Dean* * Mary at worldbeyondwar.org <Mary at worldbeyondwar.org>*
773-459-3941 <(773)%20459-3941>

*Yemen Is Starving: Peace activists, alarmed by the mounting humanitarian
crisis in Yemen, to hold a penny poll outside the Federal Building*

Chicago -- *On May 9, 2017, from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.,* in the Kluczynski
Federal Building plaza at 230 S. Dearborn, Voices for Creative Nonviolence
and World Beyond War activists will engage passersby in a penny poll
regarding humanitarian relief for war and famine-stricken Yemen. Using the
poll device, people can “spend” symbolic wooden pennies to assist Yemenis
in averting famine or direct their “pennies” to continue supporting
military contractors that are shipping weapons to Saudi Arabia. The Saudis,
through two years of airstrikes and blockades, have escalated the conflict
in Yemen and exacerbated near famine conditions.

*Ravaged by war, blockaded by sea, and regularly targeted with Saudi and
U.S. airstrikes, Yemen is now on the brink of total famine.*
Yemen is currently being ravaged by a brutal conflict, with injustices and
atrocities on all sides. More than 10,000 people have been killed,
including 1,564 children
<http://vcnv.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ad474c00c83953a2b8e225340&id=d5a4d6b0f1&e=7de3a03f9b>,
and millions have been displaced from their homes. UNICEF estimates
<http://vcnv.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ad474c00c83953a2b8e225340&id=a930b04e2c&e=7de3a03f9b>
that more
than 460,000 children in Yemen face severe malnutrition, while 3.3 million
children and pregnant or lactating women suffer acute malnutrition. The
U.S. backed Saudi-led coalition is also enforcing a sea blockade on
rebel-held areas. Yemen imports 90% of its food; because of the blockade,
food and fuel prices are rising and scarcity is at crisis levels. While
Yemeni children are starving, US weapons makers, including General
Dynamics, Raytheon, and Lockheed Martin, are profiting from weapon sales to
Saudi Arabia.
*At this critical juncture, U.S. people should call on their elected
representatives to urge an end to the blockade and airstrikes, a silencing
of all guns, and a negotiated settlement to the war in Yemen.*
With Congress in recess, this is an ideal time to call elected
representatives and urge them to join colleagues in letters to:

   1. Secretary of State Tillerson asking that the Department of State work
   urgently with stakeholders to persuade combatants to permit humanitarian
   groups increased access for delivering  much-needed assistance to
   vulnerable communities

   1. to Prince Mohammed bin Khalid, Defense Minister of Saudi
   Arabia, urging that the crucial Yemeni port of Hodeida be protected from
   military assault.

*Photo Credit: Oxfam*
<http://vcnv.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ad474c00c83953a2b8e225340&id=d78e95310d&e=7de3a03f9b>
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