Today 47 senators voted to block the sale of $510 million in precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia as part of the larger arms sale announced by President Trump last month. Scott Paul, Oxfam America senior humanitarian policy advisor made the following statement.
"Today 47 senators sent a clear message: It’s time for peace not famine in Yemen. The U.S. has no business providing weapons that will further fuel one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with 7 million Yemenis on the brink of starvation and with cholera spreading rapidly.
“By voting to block the sale of U.S. precision bombs that have been used by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen to destroy farms, factories, schools, hospitals and Yemen’s most important port, these senators took a stand for an American foreign policy that is rooted in our values – one that is visionary, not transactional. Selling weapons that put a U.S. stamp on a possible famine is never a good deal for the American people.
“All parties in the Yemen conflict have shown an incredible disregard for the welfare of the Yemeni people, and now more people in Yemen need aid to survive than in any other country. While a similar vote last fall only drew the support of 27 senators, this unprecedented opposition shows that senators are fed up. Americans are finally calling time on our government’s unconditional and unlimited support for Saudi Arabia’s military intervention. Only a political settlement can resolve the issues driving Yemen’s humanitarian crisis. Rather than back the Saudis in a long war that endangers the lives of millions, the Trump administration should use all of its influence to push the parties toward peace.”
