Germany will continue to train soldiers from Saudi Arabia despite its brutal military campaign in Yemen, reported German news agency dpa on Monday.
Five Saudi soldiers are expected to start an officer's training course in July with the German army, while two others are to receive similar preparation with the air force. Seven more Saudi soldiers will begin German language training in July in anticipation of starting officer's training in 2020.
The training was part of an agreement made in 2016 during an official visit by German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen.
Last year, Germany imposed a temporary halt on arms exports to Saudi Arabia following the assassination of Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi in a Saudi diplomatic building. However, it has lifted restrictions on certain components following French and British pressure.
Read more: German government split on Saudi arms ban
'Disgrace'
Berlin also cited the four-year-old Yemen war when suspending arms exports to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The conflict triggered what the UN has described as currently "the biggest humanitarian disaster in the world."
Christian Blex, an opposition state lawmaker for the far-right Alternative for Germany, criticized the military cooperation in a tweet, saying: "[Angela] Merkel, [Heiko] Maas, von der Leyen — anyone with their hand in the game is a disgrace," referring to the German chancellor, foreign minister and defense minister, respectively.
While Germany approved markedly fewer arms exports in 2018, exports to Saudi Arabia and Turkey surged, in part due to deals that had been inked years earlier.
Read more: In Yemen war, coalition forces rely on German arms and technology
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Yemen: An ever-worsening crisis
War: The 'root cause' of Yemen's disasters
The UN has identified conflict as the "root cause" of Yemen's crises. More than 10,000 people have been killed since the conflict erupted in 2014 when Shiite Houthi rebels launched a campaign to capture the capital, Sanaa. In March 2015, a Saudi-led coalition launched a deadly campaign against the rebels, one that has been widely criticized by human rights groups for its high civilian death toll.
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Yemen: An ever-worsening crisis
Fighting keeps food from the famished
The conflict has prevented humanitarian aid from reaching large parts of the civilian population, resulting in 60 percent of the country's 28 million people being classified as "food insecure." At least 2.2 million children are acutely malnourished, according to the UN World Food Program. UN chief Antonio Guterres has urged the Security Council to pressure warring parties to allow aid in.
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Yemen: An ever-worsening crisis
Displacement: Converging crises
More than 2 million people have been displaced by conflict, including marginalized communities such as the "Muhammasheen," a minority tribe that originally migrated from Africa. Despite the civil war, many flee conflict in Somalia and head to Yemen, marking the convergence of two major migration crises in the Middle East nation. Yemen hosts more than 255,000 Somali refugees, according to UNHCR.
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Yemen: An ever-worsening crisis
Cholera: A deadly epidemic
As of October 2017, the number of suspected cholera cases exceeded more than 750,000, and at least 2,135 people had died from the waterborne bacterial infection in Yemen in ten months, said the WHO. Although cholera can be easily treated, it can kill within hours when untreated. By October 2018, over 10,000 cases of cholera were being treated weekly.
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Yemen: An ever-worsening crisis
Unsuspecting victims of the'war on terror'
In Yemen, violence goes beyond civil conflict: It is considered a strategic front in the war on terrorism. The country serves as the operational base for al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, dubbed the "most dangerous" terrorist group before the rise of the "Islamic State." The US routinely uses drones to target al-Qaida leadership. However, civilians have often been killed in the operations.
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Yemen: An ever-worsening crisis
Children's fate: Future marred by tragedy
In a country paralyzed by conflict, children are one of the most at-risk groups in Yemen. More than 11 million children require humanitarian aid, according to the UN humanitarian coordination agency. The country's education system is "on the brink of collapse," while children are dying of "preventable causes like malnutrition, diarrhea and respiratory tract infections," the agency said in October.
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Yemen: An ever-worsening crisis
Peace: An elusive future
Despite several attempts at UN-backed peace talks, the conflict continues to rage on. Saudi Arabia has vowed to continue supporting the internationally recognized government of Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. On the other hand, Houthi rebels have demanded the formation of a unity government in order to move forward on a political solution. But neither side appears ready to compromise.
Author: Lewis Sanders IV
