Thanks to the 40+ advocacy groups that signed this letter urging an end to US participation in the Saudi-UAE coalition’s war in Yemen during consideration of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and Defense Appropriations this summer. This letter was sent to every House and Senate office on Tuesday June 4th at 10am.
We are already making waves. Vox featured our effort in an article they published on June 4th, 2019! Read that here.
By suspending the sale of arms and ending US participation in the Saudi-UAE led coalition’s war in Yemen, Congress can prevent a humanitarian catastrophe from spiraling further out of control as it reasserts its Constitutional authority on matters of war and peace.
Please help us spread the this message by doing the following:
- Download the letter and send it to your Rep and two Senators
- Call your to Rep and two Senators and urge they defund US participation in the Yemen war during consideration of the defense budget this summer
- Share this page on social media and your local paper
- Share the Vox article on social media
- If you are interested in leading a local sign on letter to your Rep and Senators, please email me directly at eltayyab@justforeignpolicy.org.
Thank you for helping us create a more just foreign policy.
Hassan El-Tayyab, Co-Director at Just Foreign Policy
June 4th, 2019
Dear Member of Congress,
We urge you to end further U.S. participation in the Saudi-UAE coalition’s war in Yemen during consideration of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and Defense Appropriations this summer. Congress has affirmed in its passage of SJRes7 that U.S. participation in this conflict has not been authorized by Congress, is not advancing the interests or values of Americans, and makes the United States complicit in the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.
Specifically, we urge you to:
- Suspend the transfer, sale, and authorization for license for export of defense articles likely to be used in the war in Yemen for a minimum of two years, with particular attention to any item designated under Category IV of the United States Munitions List.
- Expressly prohibit any further U.S. assistance or support for Yemen-related intelligence sharing and logistics support activities to Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates.
By taking these actions, Congress would discontinue unconstitutional U.S. participation in the war in Yemen as well as pressure the parties to the conflict to redouble their efforts to find a peaceful political settlement.
As a result of the war, roughly 14 million people in Yemen are at risk of famine. Aid agencies have described Yemen as worst place in the world to be a child, with the conflict claiming the lives of at least 85,000 children under the age of five from hunger and disease. More than 1 million people have been infected with cholera and an alarming 10,000 new cases arise each week. The Saudi and UAE coalition has imposed a de-facto blockade on Yemen, which has impeded the flow of food, fuel, and medicine, pushing prices of essential goods out of reach for millions of Yemenis.
By suspending the sale of arms and ending US participation in the Saudi coalition’s war in Yemen, Congress can prevent a humanitarian catastrophe from spiraling further out of control as it reasserts its Constitutional authority on matters of war and peace.
Sincerely,
Action Corps
American Muslim Empowerment Network (AMEN)
Avaaz
Bread for the World
Center on Conscience & War
Church of the Brethren, Office of Peacebuilding and Policy
Churches for Middle East Peace
CODEPINK
Committee for Responsible Foreign Policy
Common Defense
CS Productions
Defending Rights & Dissent
Demand Progress
Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)
Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)
Franciscan Action Network
Freedom Forward
Health Alliance International
Indivisible
Institute for Policy Studies, New Internationalism Project
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Just Foreign Policy
Million Hoodies Movement for Justice
MoveOn
MPower Change
National Council of Churches
National Religious Campaign Against Torture
Oxfam America
Pax Christi International
Peace Action
Public Citizen
Raging Grannies Action League
RootsAction
STAND: The Student-Led Movement to End Mass Atrocities
SumOfUs
The Libertarian Institute
The United Methodist Church-General Board of Church and Society
The Yemen Peace Project
War Resisters League
Win Without War
World BEYOND War
Yemen Alliance Committee
Yemen Freedom Council
Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation