UN Rejects Russia’s Call for Yemen Ceasefire

Russian Envoy Blasts 'Amazing Indecision' as Humanitarian Crisis Grows

by Jason Ditz, 

The UN Security Council went through a tense Friday session unable to come to any agreement on Russia’s push for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in war-torn Yemen.

A Saudi-led war against Yemen, including a naval blockade, has created a massive humanitarian calamity, and even aid groups are saying they’ll have to withdraw from the nation in a few days because they don’t have the supplies to run their own operations, let alone to aid the besieged populace.

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin marveled at the Western resistance to the resolution, saying he was shocked at the “amazing indecision” among officials who had already agreed that there was a humanitarian crisis there.

It shouldn’t be too surprising, however. The US has joined the Saudi war, and repeatedly publicly endorsed it. Though US diplomats say they support a humanitarian ceasefire in theory, they will only support one in practice that insists the Saudis are totally blameless for the humanitarian crisis, and that it is the Yemeni Shi’ite Houthis who are at fault.

http://news.antiwar.com/2015/05/01/un-rejects-russias-call-for-yemen-ceasefire/