Jonas Ecke is a humanitarian aid scholar-practitioner who has worked in several countries, including Yemen, South Sudan, and Liberia. He holds a PhD in Anthropology from Purdue University.
The US government has continued air strikes against Yemen’s Houthis while claiming not to be at war. But the Houthis are unlikely to be deterred: even Yemenis who formerly took up arms against them now support the attacks on Israeli-bound ships in the Red Sea.
The US is threatening military action in the waters off Yemen to protect international shipping routes. The people of Yemen have already borne the brunt of a US-sponsored war that has caused devastation similar to the horrific scenes in Gaza.
Saudi Arabia and its Western allies, including the US, spent vast sums on a war that has reduced Yemen to abject poverty. They must not be allowed to shirk responsibility for the reconstruction work that is essential for the future of all Yemenis.