Update 02/02/2021: Last week, the Biden administration suspended arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, in line with campaign pledges made by President Biden to end US support for the Saudi-led coalition’s military campaign in Yemen. It’s time for Australia to follow suit and stop supplying military exports to countries committing war crimes.
Yemen is right now enduring one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, and Australia is complicit.
Our government is supplying military exports to both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — two countries committing war crimes in Yemen.
Almost six years after the conflict began, Amnesty International has documented more than 40 coalition air strikes that appear to have violated international humanitarian law, many of which amount to war crimes.
These airstrikes have disproportionately and indiscriminately killed civilians, including children, and targeted hospitals, school buses and markets.
On 29 January 2021 Italy permanently revoked its export licenses for arms issued to Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Italy joins a growing list of countries that have already cut off arms supplies to the Saudi-led coalition because of human rights violations in Yemen.
It’s time for Australia to do the same.
Take action and tell Defence Minister Linda Reynolds to stop supplying military exports to the Saudi-led Coalition.