TEHRAN — As the Yemen war is raging unabatedly, the international community maintains its deafening silence on the atrocities led by the Saudis in Yemen.

As the global community turns to pay attention to the “blue eyes and blonde hairs” that are under the Russian attack in Ukraine, the European powers are leaving both Yemen and Ukraine stranded. However, there is a big difference. The Yemenis have been stranded for more than seven years, while the Ukrainians have been stranded for 14 days. 

A United Nations report published in November had projected that the death toll from the Yemeni war would reach 377,000 by the end of 2021, including those killed as a result of indirect and direct causes.

In October 2021, the United Nations children’s agency said that at least 10,000 children have been killed or injured in Yemen in violence linked to years of war in the impoverished country.

The figure only included child victims whose fates were known to the organization and there were countless others, the UNICEF spokesman James Elder said.
“UNICEF urgently needs more than $235m to continue its life-saving work in Yemen till mid-2022,” he added.

When Joe Biden was campaigning for the presidency in 2020, he vowed to end the war in Yemen. Yet, one year into the office he has not taken any action to end the inhumane siege on Yemen.

At least four million people have been displaced by the seven years of war, two million of which are children. 

The U.S. has not yet ceased arms transfers, funds, and logistical and intelligence support for the Saudi-led coalition against Yemen. So far Biden has been unable to define clearly what he considers as “offensive operations,” which he vowed to end. 

While the United States announced an end to supporting offensive operations, it has refrained from pushing Saudi Arabia to end a blockade on the coast of Yemen, which has prevented fuel tankers from entering Hodeidah, the main port and access point for humanitarian aid to flow into the country.

War is horrible, frightening, and difficult, but what makes it more horrible is that the international community is looking at these two wars through double standards. 

“Unfortunately, Europeans and Americans are viewing the Ukrainian situation more favorably for aid and assistance than Yemen or Afghanistan. Some claim that this is due to the inherent racist or Islamophobic tendencies in Europe and the United States. There is no question that Ukraine is seen as White and Christian (President Zelensky is, however, the only international Jewish head of state outside of Israel). And that seems to be a factor in driving aid to Ukraine as opposed to other countries where help is needed,” William O. Beeman, an American academic told the Tehran Times. 

Many of the Western mainstream media outlets have stationed reporters in Kyiv, yet, how many CNN reporters are there in Ma’arib?

The deafening silence of the UN secretary-general about the Yemen crisis is outrageous. 

"The United Kingdom stands with the people of Ukraine in the face of Russia's outrageous onslaught on freedom and democracy," said Richard Oppenheim, the British ambassador to Yemen.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is rightly condemned by the British ambassador in Yemen. However, it should not be forgotten that Britain is a key component of Saudi Arabia's horrific killing machine in Yemen.

Even for those used to the legendary deceit of the British diplomatic service, the hypocrisy is obscene. Oppenheim may hold the title of the British ambassador to Yemen, but he is not actually in Yemen.

He is headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and his primary responsibility is to regurgitate Saudi talking points.