By Ewald König and Darya Koppel

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Yemen has been in the news for years due to a civil war in which foreign players also play a major role. Iran has supported the Shiite, well-trained Houthi rebels in the north, who repeatedly attack merchant ships in the Red Sea and areas in Israel. Saudi Arabia has so far backed the internationally recognized government in the south, which includes Deputy Foreign Minister Mustapha Noman. The experienced diplomat is currently traveling through Europe's most important capitals to draw attention to his country's precarious situation. The 35 million inhabitants are suffering from dire humanitarian conditions, with three-quarters of the population starving. Nevertheless, the country is home to 100,000 legal and 600,000 illegal migrants.

In Berlin, Noman spoke with representatives of the Foreign Office, the Ministry of Defense, and the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. The planned drastic cuts in German development aid will also affect Yemen. In an interview with diplo.news and on the program diplo.talk on the capital's TV Berlin station, he complained about the lack of international aid and empathy. “No one is paying attention anymore. The world is looking at newer wars and crisis areas. The worst thing about it is that we are getting used to it. We have become accustomed to what is happening in Yemen, in Gaza, in Sudan, in Syria, in Ukraine,” he says.

“I am also one of those people who were truly shocked by the images from Gaza in the early days. But over time, they became commonplace. We have been seeing this every day for two years now. We have stopped looking. Because what is there left to see? There is nothing new.” There is only more sadness, more anger, more despair – “and even less strength to look at all.”

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“How low can humanity sink? ”

“Now we have seen in Sudan what the Rapid Support Forces militias have done, the rapes, the mutilations, the killings. How low can humanity sink while the world simply stands by and watches? No, no one is doing anything to end this war. No one.”

Saudi Arabia tried to convince US President Donald Trump to get involved. He claimed he could end wars – “even between countries that are not at war with each other. He's just making it up. But if the United States doesn't do it, and if Europe withdraws and doesn't get more involved because of budget constraints, who can help?”

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This does not only apply to the German government. He experiences the same thing in all capitals. “I deliver the same message everywhere. We need help — for us, but Europe would also benefit from it. Because if they were to help us, it would have a positive effect on security and stability in the region. ”

Yemen must not stop knocking on doors and speaking out. “That is all we can do. We can't force a government to help us. We're trying to explain what the situation is and that they understand what we're talking about.” Noman adds, “Believe me, it's not easy to go everywhere. ”

The minister admits that his country is no longer a priority. “Sudan is more frequently in the news. But did anyone help? Did someone say, “Hey guys, you've got to stop that! '? ”

“It's crazy,” Noman complains. “It's been going on like this for years. There is famine and fear, there is rape, mutilation, everything.” Fortunately, Yemen did not see the atrocities as in Sudan, nor the extent of sexual violence, mass rapes, or indiscriminate massacres as in Sudan.

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“As if it were a Dracula movie”

“Everyone just watches as if it were one of those Dracula movies. You think for a moment, ‘That's sad,’ and then switch to another channel. The Western world is turning into a very cold-hearted society. There is hardly any empathy left. Nobody cares. People are preoccupied with AI and so many other issues.”

Noman tells “a very sad joke” about Yemen: In the latest statistics, Yemen is in second place among the poorest countries in the world. Sudan is in first place. “And Yemenis are even making fun of it and saying that we need to try harder to become number one again. I know it's sad, but that's how people feel: We feel abandoned by everyone. ”

He doesn't say that “to accuse anyone or any countries.” But the states would have focused on something else. “I am certain that if the war in Sudan continues for another three years, they will forget that too. Then another war will break out somewhere. That is the problem with the West's priorities, with budget cuts, while at the same time spending more money on defense. ”

This money comes from funds that were intended for poor countries. “So we see more poverty, more famines. The images from Yemen or Sudan are truly heartbreaking, people emaciated like skeletons. You see the photos, remain silent about them, and do nothing.”

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Emigrants go to Saudi Arabia

“Wouldn't it be better to develop these countries instead of taking in more and more refugees and paying for their health care, education, benefits and infrastructure? If you invested ten percent of it in the countries of origin, people wouldn't even think of coming. Why should they leave their friends and families, their lives behind? ”

Not many emigrants have gone to Europe from Yemen. Most emigrated to neighboring Saudi Arabia because they could travel by car or cross the border with camels or even on foot. It is much more difficult to get to Europe.

Noman draws a comparison between his country and Syria. Germany under Chancellor Angela Merkel took in one million Syrians, but there were a maximum of 20,000 Yemenis living in Germany, although Yemen is much larger. “That's because Yemenis don't want to leave at all. They are attached to their land and want to stay. ”

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Not interested in the USA

AThe Deputy Secretary of State believes that nothing can be expected from the US. The United States has essentially withdrawn from everywhere. “They were not interested in Yemen, only in the Red Sea.” To illustrate this, Noman explains: “I was in Washington, D.C. There I met with people from the State Department, the National Security Department, the White House, the Pentagon and USAID before the mission there was completely closed. Unfortunately, I had to realize that there wasn't much interest in Yemen. They didn't understand what was going on there and they weren't interested in it. Probably because they can't do business there. They're completely fixated on places where they can earn money. They want to earn money without spending a cent on it. Trump sees the world as a piece of land that he can develop, where he can build new buildings and beautiful towers. He is not interested in a country that has no money. ”

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Terrorist threats in the maritime trade route

The most urgent needs of the Yemeni population are food and jobs. The famine is spreading across the country, both in the north under the Houthis and in other parts of the country under the legitimate government. If a society whose majority is suffering from hunger becomes unstable, this would lead to internal unrest, which in turn would mean that more terrorist groups would become active in this part of the Arabian Peninsula. “I'm not saying this to threaten, like, 'If you don't help us, we'll become terrorists, 'but I'm just trying to make the picture clear: We need help. Helping Yemen is not only in our interest, but also in the interest of the international community and the region. ”

The terrorist activities would also be reflected in the Red Sea, where the maritime trade route is threatened by Houthi attacks on merchant fleets. The uncertainty there is even more dramatic for Germany than for Yemen itself. Noman: “If Yemen is not stable, there will never be stability in the Red Sea itself. ”