Conflicts
A forgotten war that in just one year has caused thousands of deaths and injured, half of whom are civilians, resulting in over 2 million and 800 thousand displaced. 80% of the population are poor, hungry, terrified in the dispute between government troops backed by Saudi Arabia and Shiite rebels belonging to the Houthi tribe backed by Iran. Still uncertain the fate of the Indian Salesian kidnapped during the terrorist attack in March, that took the lives of four Missionaries of Charity
Over 6.400 deaths, half of whom are civilians, 30 thousand injured; over 2 million 800 thousand displaced on an overall population of 26 million inhabitants. Among them 785 dead children; 1.168 injured, approximately 320thousand undernourished. Children who die or are incarcerated as prisoners of war. Hospitals and health facilities are blown up, in utter disregard of international humanitarian law. According to the UN – which already distributes food to 3 million people through the World Food Program – at least 7.6 million people need food assistance. These tragic figures refer to just one year of a totally forgotten war, the one in Yemen.
It’s an internal conflict between Shiite rebels belonging to the Houthi tribe, now allies of their old enemy, former president Abdullah Salah, supported by Iran, and the Yemenite government headed by the Sunni premier Abd Rabbo Mansur Hadi, supported by a coalition of Arab Countries, whose weapons are provided by the United States, Great Britain and France.
Al Qaeda and Islamic State warriors have recently invaded this landscape of death and destruction to sew terror with suicide bombings and attacks.
The murdered nuns, the kidnapped Salesian priest, very low numbers of Christians. The few Christians present locally (a few hundred African and Asian migrants) were the targets on March 4, with the heinous murder of four nuns, Missionaries of Charity of Mother Teresa, along with twelve people who worked with them in a structure for disabled persons in Aden. “A senseless and diabolic act of violence,” said the Pope. They were killed one by one. They tied them to trees, shot them in the head and smashed their skulls, testified the only nun who miraculously survived the massacre. The Jihadi militants also kidnapped Father Tom Uzhunnalil, a Salesian priest, of whom there is no news since then.
At first was circulated the news, later revealed to be false, that he was crucified on Good Friday. However, Indian authorities have denied the news of his death. On June 8, the bishops of Kerala (the Indian state of origin of the priest) sent a message to the Indian government conveying their concern over the “uncertainties” regarding his release and for the “stalemate” in the negotiations. For decades the Sisters of Mother Teresa and the Salesian priests have been the only presences in the country, at the service of a very small community. At the moment there are no Salesians, given the dangerous situation. The Missionaries of Charity have remained
80% of the population in difficulty. In the meantime 80% of the overall population find it difficult to find food, live in the constant fear of death, torn by the tragic choice: to stay or the flee. The attacks come from the sky, with planes of the coalition led by Saudi Arabia, or by land, with clashes between rebel and government troops. In the city of Taiz residents live in fear of snipers, of stray bullets and mortars of both warring groups. In the past there were 20 hospitals for 600 thousand inhabitants, now only six, which are barely operational.
Attacks on hospitals and difficult peace talks. Even health facilities and ambulances are under attack. The activities of Doctors Without Borders were attacked four times since past October, until January 2016. The organization requested an independent inquiry on the attack against the Sharia Hospital, that took the life of six and wounded seven, including medical staff and patients. Past June 3, in Taiz, the hospitals of the medical-humanitarian organization treated as many as 122 injured civilians, while 12 were already dead when they were brought to the hospital. In the meantime
Peace negotiations ongoing in Kuwait since April are thwarted by various difficulties, such as suspension of the talks and violation of the truce.
Some positive piece of news includes the unconditional release of children that had been imprisoned and the exchange of 50% of detained prisoners in the attempt of recovering trust among the belligerent parties.
