Talk on the Role of War in Yemen on Natural Resources and Biodiversity by Dr. Salman Al-Shami

The Whitman Chapter of Scholars at Risk invites you to attend this public talk by Dr. Salman Al-Shami, Visiting Scholar at Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada on Climate Changes, Depletion of Natural Diversity and Increasing Water Scarcity: The Role of the Ongoing War in Yemen

Dr. Salman Al-Shami
Wilfrid Laurier University

Yemen sits in the southwest corner of the Arabian Peninsula and has a subtropical climate. Around 40 million Yemenis call this country home, and they depend on traditional farming methods to grow coffee, vegetables, and fruits as their main source of income. The Arab Spring protests of 2011 shook up the country’s leadership causing rifts in the military and leading the president to step down. This paved the way for the Houthi militants to take over the capital Sana’a in September 2014. Consequently, Saudi Arabia stepped in during 2015 heading up a coalition and kicking off military action in Yemen. Saudi Arabia and its allies have launched over 40,000 air attacks on Yemen. These attacks have forced 13 million people from their homes, killed 10,200 children (according to UNICEF), and left 20 million Yemenis struggling to find clean food and water. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) reports that about 80% of Yemenis live in poverty, and more than 65% cannot access clean water or healthy food. The ongoing conflict has used up water sources and other natural resources, while also making pollution worse. I plan to talk about the current situation in Yemen and the impact of the war on quality of people lives, water scarcity and depletion of natural resources.