Civilians in Yemen are still dying. The war must end. Interference from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Iran should stop, the Stockholm Agreement must be implemented, and humanitarian aid to Yemen must urgently be increased, four Women Noble Peace Laureates, Tawakkol Karman, Shirin Ebadi, Leymah Gbowee and Jody Williams said in advance of an international conference in New York that will address the crisis in Yemen.
“The situation in Yemen is desperate and without delay all parties in the conflict need to stop the senseless killings, particularly of women and children, who are dying in unprecedented numbers,” said Nobel Peace Laureate Tawakkol Karman. “The Saudis, Emiratis and the leaders of Houthi militia who have flagrantly disregarded International Humanitarian Law and committed wars crime in Yemen need to be held accountable.”
“World leaders, through all possible mechanisms, need to ensure that civilians are protected and that they immediately receive life-saving aid,” commented Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi. “Not another innocent life should be lost. The Saudi-led intervention and Iranian influence must end, and Yemen must be run by Yemenis and the country must adhere to the rule of law.”
“Security and safety for all Yemenis must be guaranteed. Internal and external actors need to lay down their arms,” said Nobel Peace Laureate Leymah Gbowee. “Everyone in Yemen should have access to basic services, and all parents should be able to feed their children,” she added.
“The normalization of war and violence should no longer be tolerated,” Nobel Peace Laureate Jody Williams added. “Peace negotiations, which should include women at all stages of the process, must be finalized and implemented with great haste, andwe desperately need commitments from the international community to help restore Yemen.”
The four Peace Laureates and other esteemed guests will convene in New York City for a Global Conference on Yemen: Dimensions of The Humanitarian Crisis and Prospects Of Peace.
The global conference is organized by the Tawakkol Karman Foundation and the Center on National Security at Fordham and will take place Thursday, March 7, from 8:30 am to 3:45 pm in the 12th Floor Lounge of Fordham University Lincoln Center, 113 W 60th St, New York, NY 10023. There is more information about the conference here, and you can read the Tawakkol Karman Foundation statement here.
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Tawakkol Karman Foundation is an endowment fund working in the development field and supports ideas, policies, activities and projects that contribute to community democratization and development. TKF also strives to disseminate a culture of peace, rooted in humanitarian fraternity values, to combat violence, poverty and illiteracy and forms of racial discrimination.
