Humble pomegranate seed provides clue to how Yemen's war fuels hunger
newsare.net
The tiny, red pomegranate seed may not look like much but it helps explain why Yemen's civil war has brought millions of people to the brink of famine. Pomegranate exports were a key source of income for people in Saada in northwest Yemen, a province under thHumble pomegranate seed provides clue to how Yemen's war fuels hunger
The tiny, red pomegranate seed may not look like much but it helps explain why Yemen's civil war has brought millions of people to the brink of famine. Pomegranate exports were a key source of income for people in Saada in northwest Yemen, a province under the control of the Houthi movement aligned with Iran. Before the war began in 2015, farmers exported 30,000 tonnes of the fruit. Those exports have fallen by around a third and farmers blame lack of fuel and water for irrigation and the impact of aerial bombing by a coalition of forces led by Saudi Arabia and armed by the United States, France, Britain and other Western countries. Markets and roads have been targeted, making it much more dangerous and, crucially, more expensive to get pomegranates by truck to Yemen's main port in Hodeidah, the farmers say. The coalition is fighting to restore the internationally-recognized government that was ousted from the capital Sanaa by the Houthis. Many bombs have fallen on civilian areas. The coalition denies targeting civilians deliberately. «The pomegranates are dying because of lack of water because of the blockade,» said farmer Rabeea al-Abdy. He was referring to stringent measures... Read more
