Growing Up in Yemen
June 10, 2016 in Yemen
We assess that the situation in Yemen has gone beyond the scope of aid. Yemen is facing the catastrophic reality of famine unless people can return to the fields, imports resume enabling markets to trade at normal prices. The United Nations estimates 9,000 casualties, including over 3,000 civilian deaths in the Yemeni conflict from March 2015 to 2016. The Houthis, a rebel group composed of Shiite Muslims, feel marginalized in the majority Sunni country and have loyalties to an ex-president of Yemen. The situation led to one of the world’s deadliest yet least reported conflicts.
One third of fighters in Yemen are children, many of whom have been captured and are now subject to an agreement between the warring sides. It is unclear how many child prisoners are being held. According to Yemeni political sources Houthis, the government submitted a list of almost 7,000 prisoners they say are held by the other side. Children can be seen manning check points in many cities in Yemen, recruited by the warring parties in the conflict. The UN’s child agency UNICEF counted 738 minors were recruited with children as young as ten taking up arms. It marks a five-fold increase from 2014. However, they admitted this was a conservative estimate and there were likely many more.
A Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out airstrikes against Houthi militias, who are aligned with Iran. The airstrikes have been condemned by the U.N. human rights chief for killing civilians. The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon publicly acknowledged on Thursday that he removed the Saudi-led coalition currently bombing Yemen from a blacklist of child killers (72 hours after it was published) due to a financial threat to defund United Nations programs. Saudi Arabia denies the threats. The U.N.’s 2015 “Children and Armed Conflict” report originally listed the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen under “parties that kill or maim children” and “parties that engage in attacks on schools and/or hospitals.” The report, which was based on the work of U.N. researchers in Yemen, attributed 60 percent of the 785 children killed and 1,168 injured to the bombing coalition.
Children growing up in Yemen face multiple threats. If they escape recruitment by one of the warring factions, they may be one of the victims of the fighting or the deepening humanitarian crisis. Children are disproportionately the victims of the war. Civilian infrastructures are not safe from attacks with schools and hospitals finding themselves in the firing line. In 2015 alone, 900 children were killed and 1,300 wounded. The UN calculates that six children have been killed or maimed every day since March. Yemen is in the throes of an acute humanitarian crisis. According to UNICEF 178,600 children under 5 were treated for severe acute malnutrition and another 10,000 Yemeni children died from preventable diseases in 2015, due to what the UN called ‘the total collapse of the health system’.
Since the Arab Spring in 2011, Yemen has fallen off the media’s radar but it has a strong democratic movement which is being hampered by third world conditions. Already one of the poorest countries in the Middle East before the fighting began in March 2015, Yemen has always relied heavily on imports. Around 90% of its food comes from abroad, including 85% of its staple grain crops. Airports, ports and land routes have now been forced to close, either due to damage or blockades. A food crisis seems to be pushing almost a quarter of the population to starvation. Of its 24 million people, over 80% are in need of assistance in order to survive. Yemen, once known as “Happy Arabia” it is heading towards poverty, malnutrition in one of the biggest crises of our time. The security to citizens, visitors, organizations and infrastructures cannot be guaranteed. Yemen is currently the poorest country within the Arab world. As well as the lack of supplies coming into the country, Taiz, one of its biggest cities, has been sealed off since September 2015. This has resulted in the loss of livelihoods for tens of thousands of families. Production has declined and mass internal displacement has severely disrupted an already limited agriculture. The overall scenario caused prices of basic commodities to sky-rocket. The cost of a minimum staple food basket for an average family has doubled since the crisis began. The number of people begging on the street has increased, while food prices are through the roof. Even when other essential goods are available, people are being forced to travel long distances to get them. Families are travelling up to 30km on foot, along treacherous mountain routes, just to reach the nearest affordable market. For those not able to make the trip, the only hope is to count on the good nature of neighbors, skip meals, beg or starve.
Mayor of Paris Announces Plans for Migrant Camp
June 9, 2016 in FranceOn 31 May, the mayor of the French capital announced that a camp for migrants is to be set up in the northern region of Paris within the next six weeks.
Anne Hidalgo announced the plans on Tuesday, with officials disclosing that the new camp in Paris is expected to provide both day facilities and overnight accommodation. Speaking to reporters, the Socialist mayor disclosed that “we are going to work extra hard on this,” adding that the exact location of the “humanitarian camp” would be revealed in the next few days after an inspection of possible sites. She also indicated that the current situation was no longer “tenable,” citing a makeshift camp that had sprung up in the north of Paris in the fast few days, which is now home to 800 people. She added that the new camp would be modelled on one created near the northern port of Calais to take people from the unofficial “jungle” encampment. Hundreds of migrants have been camping rough in the capital city.
Officials Call for Rio Games to be Postponed Amidst Zika Fears
June 8, 2016 in 2016 Summer Olympics - Security UpdateOne-hundred-and-fifty-two health experts have signed a letter calling for the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to either halt the upcoming Olympic games in Brazil or move it elsewhere.
The letter warns that some 500,000 foreign tourists are expected to travel to Rio de Janeiro, which would lead to the virus being spread to countries where it may not have reached. It further states that the Zika virus has more serious medical consequences than first through and claims that the health emergency contains “many uncertainties.” One of the authors of the letter, Professor Amir Attaran, has stated that the games risk becoming the “Olympics of brain damage.” He believes that allowing the Olympics to go ahead would lead to the birth of more brain damaged children.
The letter also calls into question the relationship between the UN health agency and the IOC, which entered an official partnership in 2010. Professor Attaran states that the partnership between the WHO and the IOC was “beyond the pale” and calls the independence of the WHO into questions. He states that “it is ignorant and arrogant for the WHO to march hand-in-hand with the IOC,” adding, “how can it be ethical to increase the risk of spreading the virus? Just because a fire has begun doesn’t mean you need to pour gasoline on it.”
The WHO however has rejected the call, stating that suspending or moving the event would “not significantly alter” the spread of the virus. A statement released by the WHO indicates that “based on current assessment, cancelling or changing the location of the 2016 Olympics will not significantly alter the international spread of Zika virus,” adding, “Brazil is one of almost 60 countries and territories which to-date reporting continuing transmission of Zika by mosquitoes…People continue to travel between these countries and territories for a variety of reasons…The best way to reduce the risk of disease is to follow public health travel advise.”
The Zika virus has been linked to serious birth defects including microcephaly-where babies are born with abnormally small heads and underdeveloped brains. It has also been linked to Guillain-Barre Syndrome and Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis, which affect the nervous system. Nearly 1,300 babies have been born in Brazil with microphaly since the mosquito-borne Zika began circulating last year. The majority of those infected with the virus have no symptoms, however it can cause mild illness with symptoms that include rashes, fever and headaches. Pregnant women have already been advised not to travel to Rio de Janeiro, however the WHO has indicated that the risk of Zika will lessen in August because it is winter in Brazil.
While no Olympic Games has been moved because of health concerns, in 2003, FIFA moved the Women’s World Cup from China over fears of the respiratory virus SARS.
The Rio games are due to begin on 5 August.
French Unions Plan to Disrupt Upcoming Euro 2016 Football Matches
June 7, 2016 in 2016 UEFA Euro Cup - Security UpdateAs protests continue across France over labour law changes, a hardline French union has announced that it is planning to disrupt public transport and emergency services around the upcoming Euro Cup football matches.
According to Patrice Clos, who runs Force Ouvrier’s transport division, “we have decided that each match day in the towns concerned the federation would call strikes,” adding, “it was decided that as this law touches on the economy of the workers, that we would hit the economy of the Euros…until it is withdrawn.” The sectors affected during the football tournament, which begins on 10 June and which will run for a month, will include heavy goods traffic, public transportation, ambulances and bin collectors. Unions have also called for a day of industrial action on 10 June if President Francois Hollande does not return to the negotiating table.
The latest threat comes as France’s civil aviation body has asked airlines to fuel up abroad despite riot police clearing all but one of the country’s fuel depot blockades.
The union revealed its plan in late May, at the end of a week when nationwide protests against labour law reforms brought parts of France to a standstill. Despite the ongoing protests, President Hollande has vowed to press on with the legislation, with both the government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) claiming that it is necessary in order to create jobs. Speaking at the G7 Summit in Japan in May, President Hollande stated that “I will keep going because I think these are good reforms,” adding, “our primary duty…is to do everything to maintain the supply of fuel to the public and to continue to provide essential public services.” Unions however say that “the ball is in the government’s court” and insist that the strikes could end as soon as the government backs down.
Protests have turned ugly over this past month. On 27 May, masked demonstrators in Paris threw missiles at police, who fired tear gas in return. As many as 12,000 petrol stations across the country were reported to be either closed or running low on fuel on the day of the clashes. Meanwhile tourists travelling by car to France have been warned to fill up their tanks
The laws being forced through parliament would make it easier for companies to hire and fire workers.
Killing of Venezuelan security forces on rise amid crisis
June 6, 2016 in VenezuelaA bloodstained weekend marked the latest chapter in a year of increased violence against Venezuela‘s security forces, a trend that is expected to continue as the country’s political and economic crisis deepens. According to Venezuela‘s Foundation for Due Process (Fundación para el Debido Proceso – Fundepro), 163 police officers, military officials and bodyguards were killed during the first five months of 2016, a 14 percent increase from the same time period last year, reported El Nacional. Fundepro’s study found that only 11 of the 163 killings have been resolved in court.
This article was written by David Gagne for Insight Crime and was republished with permission. Please see original here.
In 80 percent of the cases, the attacker also stripped the security officer of his weapon. An unidentified source within Venezuela‘s investigative police force, the CICPC, told El Nacional that the officer’s weapon was only recovered by authorities 3 percent of the time.
This past weekend was a particularly violent one for the country’s security forces. On Saturday, June 4, a group of assailants shot and killed a member of the Bolivarian National Guard (Guardia Nacional Bolivariana – GNB) while he was conducting a routine patrol in the northern state of Miranda. Two other officers were wounded, while one of the assailants was killed in the ensuing shootout.
On Sunday, a group of police officers in Miranda were attacked after they arrived at a food distribution center that was being plundered by bandits. Although no officers were injured, the thieves reportedly made off with 25 tons of food.
That same day, a group of individuals ganged up to beat with sticks a member of the CICPC homicide division, after the agent was reportedly seen committing a robbery at a gas station in Caracas. One of the agent’s family members, who was allegedly involved in the robbery, was shot and killed.
Earlier in the week, on June 2, a retired GNB officer in the state of Aragua was killed by six men wielding shotguns as he went to meet with local authorities.
As the Fundepro study shows, the majority of assaults against police or military are rooted in attempts to rob the agents of their firearm. This suggests criminal gangs are behind a great deal of the attacks directed at security forces, since they need weapons to mete out violence and protect themselves from their rivals.
But anecdotal evidence from this weekend, as well as from previous weeks and months, indicates the violence against security forces is becoming more generalized. If this is indeed the case, this trend is likely linked to Venezuela‘s worsening crises on the political, economic and security fronts.
Amid runaway inflation, chronic food shortages and falling approval ratings, President Nicolás Maduro finds himself increasingly relying on the country’s security forces to maintain some semblance of law and order. Last year the government launched a massive security offensive dubbed Operation Liberation of the People (OLP) to combat crime in the country, which regularly ranks as one of Latin America’s most violent. The president has also stationed troops at supermarkets and food distribution points in an attempt to prevent looting.
This is not only stretching police resources, but it also puts the security forces in more direct conflict with ordinary citizens who are growing restless as the lines lengthen and more food products disappear from the shelves.
It’s not just food that is running out. In late April, Maduro shortened the work week to two days for public sector employees in order to save on electricity. A shortage in medical supplies has also caused a public health emergency, with reports of infants dying in hospitals on a daily basis. The recent death of an 8-year-old boy diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, who had become the symbol of Venezuela‘s health care crisis, drew outrage across the country.
Widespread corruption within the security forces, especially those stationed along the Colombian border, is another source of public frustration. During recent field research in the border area InSight Crime was told by a Colombian intelligence agent that members of Venezuela‘s National Guard are threatening to kill smugglers of gasoline and other contraband products if they do not agree to a pay a protection fee to the authorities. Covert networks of military officials, collectively known as the Cartel of the Suns, are also believed to be heavily involved in the country’s lucrative cocaine trade.
As public resentment builds against a corrupt force, acts of violence directed at the security forces — such as the one last weekend against the CICPC agent — could become more common.
Venezuela’s precarious political situation is another ominous indication that things could get worse for the security forces before they get better. The political opposition hascollected 1.8 million signatures — it only needed 200,000 — petitioning the government to set up a referendum on whether to depose Maduro from power. Electoral authorities, however, have yet to approve the petition or set a date for the recall vote.
As political scientist Ian Bremmer points out at Time Magazine, this delay could be a ploy to push the referendum into next year, when the vice president — a party loyalist — would automatically assume the presidency if Maduro gets ousted. So while Maduro is fighting for his political life, it appears his party is already scheming to stay in power until the official end of the president’s term in 2019.
The end may or may not be near for Maduro, but Venezuela‘s ongoing turmoil — and the attendant violence against the country’s security forces — is unlikely to subside any time soon.
This article was written by David Gagne for Insight Crime and was republished with permission. Please see original here.
