MEDIA ADVISORY
Contact: Jodie Evans | CODEPINK co-founder | heartofj@gmail.com | (310) 621-5635
Ariel Gold | CODEPINK campaign director | ariel@codepink.org | (510) 599-53330
Kathy Kelly | Voices for Creative Nonviolence | FastingForYemen@gmail.com | (773) 619-2418
When: Thursday, April 13th, 9:30am to 2pm.
Where: begins at U.S. Mission to the UN, 99 United Nations Plaza, NYC followed by hunger strike vigil at Isaiah Wall, First Avenue and 42nd St
US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley last week warned that Russia should not be able to escape responsibility for the chemical weapons attack that took place in Syria and asked “how many more children have to die before Russia cares.” Activists from CODEPINK and other human rights organizations will participate in a vigil in front of the Isaiah Wall at the UN to ask Haley, the Trump administration, and the UN to take responsibility for the children who are dying in Yemen.
The situation in Yemen is so severe that one Yemeni child dies every ten minutes from malnutrition caused by destruction from the US supported Saudi bombing of hospitals, clinics and civilian infrastructure in Yemen. While Yemeni children are starving, US weapons makers, including General Dynamics, Raytheon, and Lockheed Martin, are profiting from weapon sales to Saudi Arabia.
Thursday’s action with CODEPINK is part of a week-long vigil and fast in front of the United Nations calling for peace in Yemen and standing in solidarity with its civilian population. The activists are demanding an end to U.S. complicity in a war that is taking a devastating toll on the Yemeni people.
“We call on Nikki Haley, the rest of the UN, and the Trump administration to look at the horrific effect U.S. supported Saudi bombings are having on the children of Yemen, where one child is dying every ten minutes from starvation,” said CODEPINK cofounder Jodie Evans. “Haley should take responsibility to push the U.S. to immediately end all weapon sales to Saudi Arabia and the UN and U.S. to provide humanitarian aid the Yemeni people.”
Partnering in this project are members of the New York Catholic Worker community, CODEPINK., Witness Against Torture, the Upstate Coalition to End the Wars and Ground the Drones, Friends of Franz and Ben, Voices for Creative Nonviolence, Veterans for Peace NYC Chapter 34, World Beyond War, Kairos Community, Just Foreign Policy, Peaceworkers, Pax Christi Metro New York, Know Drones, World Can’t Wait, Granny Peace Brigade, NY, Dorothy Day Catholic Worker, D.C., Benincasa Community, NY (list in formation)
