With a looming famine in Yemen and no end in sight to the Saudi-led bombing campaign, GUE/NGL calls for the immediate imposition of an EU-wide arms embargo on Saudi Arabia.

The European Parliament will vote today on a resolution about the situation in Yemen with MEPs echoing a growing public outrage at Europe’s complicity in the unfolding humanitarian crisis.

Billions of dollars in European weapons are sold every year to the Saudi regime, with France, Germany, the UK and Spain leading suppliers.

Sweden remains the only European country to have ended its arms sales to Saudi Arabia at the launch of the assault in 2015.

Over 8000 Yemenis have been killed since then and 17 million, that’s half of the country’s population, face food shortages.

GUE/NGL MEP Ángela Vallina accused EU member states of being willing collaborators in the suffering of ordinary Yemenis:  

“The solution to war is not more war. Sixteen EU member states, including my own country, Spain, continue to sell weapons to Saudi Arabia. They are collaborators in this massacre.”

“US President Trump has added fuel to the fire by escalating extrajudicial executions with the use of drones in Yemen.”

“The EU must implement the resolution already approved by this house. I hope that this position is reaffirmed in today’s vote with a call for an embargo on arms sales to Saudi Arabia.”

The Spanish MEP recalled that the scale of humanitarian suffering in the country should lead the EU to act:

“After more than two years of conflict in Yemen, with tens of thousands of civilian deaths and the world's worst famine, we are at a critical point in the escalation of tensions in the region.”

“Saudi Arabia is pushing through more bombings and a blockade against the Yemeni people. Even if partially lifted, the suffering of the Yemeni people continues with 130 Yemeni children dying every day. Meanwhile, the Daesh expands and multiplies its attacks,” Vallina concluded.