Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.) said on Monday that the U.S. should address the humanitarian situation in Yemen amid increased tensions with Saudi Arabia, which is leading a Washington-backed war in the country.
“When you look at the refugees around the world, we’re at an all-time world high of worldwide refugees displaced from their countries. It’s over 70 million people. We haven’t seen these numbers ever before in our history. This is more than World War II,” Yoho, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told Hill.TV’s Buck Sexton and Krystal Ball on “Rising.”
“What’s going on in Yemen is adding to that immensely, and then the famine, and then these people don’t have any food,” he continued.
“This is something that I think we as a world population need to look at this and see what each country can do to alleviate this kind of conflict, and then, more importantly, bring it to a solution, so these people aren’t displaced, and start getting these people back in their countries with functional governments,” he said.
Yoho’s comments come after the United Nations said on Sunday that Yemen could be facing the worst famine in 100 years.
A military coalition, led by Saudi Arabia, has launched a military intervention in Yemen, ostensibly to fight Iranian-supported Houthi rebels in the country’s ongoing civil war. Human rights groups have criticized both Riyadh and Washington, which provides military training and assistance to Saudi forces, over the high number of civilian deaths.
The U.N. has warned that 13 million people in the war-torn country are facing starvation.
Tensions have increased between Saudi Arabia and Western countries after journalist Jamal Khashoggi disappeared at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul earlier this month. Turkish officials say they believe he was murdered inside the consulate.
President Trump is facing calls from Republicans and Democrats in Congress to take action over the disappearance.
“I know there is talk about limiting the arms sales, not just from the White House, more so from Congress,” Yoho said.
The president announced in a tweet on Monday that he spoke with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman, and that he would be dispatching Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to meet with the Saudi Arabian leader.
Just spoke to the King of Saudi Arabia who denies any knowledge of whatever may have happened “to our Saudi Arabian citizen.” He said that they are working closely with Turkey to find answer. I am immediately sending our Secretary of State to meet with King!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 15, 2018
— Julia Manchester
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