War reform advocates are voicing their concerns, following the confirmation of The Australian Government’s role in supporting airstrikes, launched by the US and UK militaries in Yemen. 

The strikes follow an attempted blockade in the Red Sea said to be in response to the State of Israel’s invasion of Gaza, by the Yemen-based Houthi movement.

The attacks from the US and UK, follow a decade-long conflict in Yemen. The war is estimated to have killed at least 370,000 people. With 60% of the deaths due to starvation and lack of healthcare, a 2018 report from the UN named the continued conflict ‘the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.’

The Australian government previously declined to send a warship to support the US/UK coalition against the Houthi, but Australia’s specific role in supporting the airstrikes has yet to be revealed. 

Image: Image: Unsplash/ Saif Albadni

Produced By: Mary-Kate Hannagan

Featured In Story: Dr Alison Broinowski- Australians for War Powers Reform

First aired on The Wire, Monday 15 January 2024