Ending the U.S.-Saudi War in Yemen through Protest Photography

  • Action Corps
  • Year Grant Awarded: 2022

On March 1, in both 2022 and 2023 Action Corps called on people around the country to protest the war on Yemen and demand that members of Congress pass a War Powers Resolution. Working together with a photographer, we were able to capture on-the-ground activism. This project was a part of ongoing work of ours to help bring the war in Yemen, the largest humanitarian disaster in the world, to an end. 

Since March 2015, the Saudi-led bombing and blockade of Yemen have killed tens of thousands of people and devastated the country. Over 23.4 million people are in need of assistance, including almost 13 million children. With the conflict raging on for over eight years, Yemenis lack access to safe water and sanitation services, leading the country to regular outbreaks of cholera amongst other preventable diseases.

President Biden, during his campaign, promised to end U.S. weapons sales and military support for Saudi Arabia. Then on February 4, 2021, Biden announced an end to U.S. participation in offensive operations in Yemen. Despite President Biden’s commitments, the U.S. continues to enable the blockade – an offensive operation on Yemen – by servicing Saudi fighter jets and providing other military and diplomatic support. The blockade and resulting humanitarian crisis has only worsened since Biden took office.

Over 70 nationwide organizations endorsed the calls to protest and gathered in cities around the country. Through collaborating with photographer Savannah Kuang, Action Corps was able to use the procured images in its outreach materials to raise awareness for the ongoing crisis in Yemen. Photographs have the power to move individuals to sign petitions, educate friends and neighbors, and influence corporate and legislative leaders to take action. More specifically, we hope that the photographs were eye-opening, portraying people from Yemen as agents of change rather than mere victims. 

Image Gallery: https://gallery.savannahkuang.com/rallyforyemenmarch52022/