The shockingly under-reported war in Yemen has led to the death of 230,000 people and created the worst humanitarian crisis anywhere in the world according to the UN. They estimate that more than 24 million people in the country, which was already one of the poorest on the planet prior to the war, will need humanitarian assistance in 2021.

The war is led by Saudi Arabia, with the involvement of the UAE, but it is backed by some key Western powers – the US, the UK, France, Spain, Italy and Canada. In particular, the US and the UK have maintained unquestioning support for Saudi Arabia since the war began and are both participants in the war.

This protest was timed to take place just days after the inauguration of Joe Biden, who has promised to end US support for the war. This is our one central aim – to hold him to his word and force fellow governments to follow suit. Over 300 organisations from 28 countries have signed up for a call to action against the war on Yemen so far, making this the biggest international anti-war co-ordination since the campaign against the Iraq war. Unfortunately, due to the circumstances in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic many of the planned physical protests had to be postponed but our global movement will not be silenced.

The World Says No to War on Yemen Global Online Rally brought together a group of prominent voices from across the world to speak out against this utterly brutal war and call for its immediate end: Ahmed Al-Babati (British-Yemeni Soldier), Dr. Apsana Begum MP, Jeremy Corbyn MP, John Finucane MP (Sinn Féin), Lindsey German (Stop the War Coalition), Jehan Hakim (Yemeni Alliance Committee), Kate Hudson (CND), Rep. Ro Khanna Esa Mighty, Daniele Obono (French National Assembly Member), Yanis Varoufakis (MeRA25 Secretary-General), Dr. Cornel West

Chairs: Aisha Jumaan & Chris Nineham