The crisis in Yemen, caused by prolonged conflict, has led to staggering impacts on human life, basic public services and the economy. More than 2 million people have been displaced and 14 million are in desperate need of food.

In the last few months, civilian deaths have increased 164 percent as violence has increased. Families are struggling to survive, severe outbreaks of cholera and other communicable diseases are ongoing, and the risk of famine looms.

Millions of Yemeni people need help. Today, 22.2 million people within the country are in need of humanitarian assistance, and less than 80 percent of the Humanitarian Response Plan has been funded for 2018..

The United States will bear shared responsibility for what may be the largest famine in decades if it does not cease its military support for the coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in Yemen, the heads of five major humanitarian organizations have warned.

The Houthi government must reopen all Yemen’s ports to let in commercial shipments, allow humanitarian staff and aid to reach those in need, and stabilize the Yemeni economy, including by paying civil servants.

The war on Yemen today is a brutal example of how the expansion of global capitalist interests destroys nations. Perhaps leaders today can also consider what lessons they can draw from Yemen and hopefully avoid the same disaster.