GENOCIDE  WATCH

Under Mohammed bin Salman’s rule, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has undertaken a series of modernization projects. These initiatives aim to counter the perception of the State as authoritarian. Despite making some progress on human rights issues, Saudi Arabia still ranks as one of the most authoritarian countries in the world, scoring 9 points out of 100 on Freedom House’s index.

Saudi Arabia’s 10-year-long military campaign against the Houthis in Yemen has caused the worst humanitarian crisis in modern history. Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed since the fighting began in March 2015. According to the United Nations (U.N.), 17 million people in Yemen face food insecurity, over half of the country’s population. On March 30, 2022, Saudi Arabia announced the cessation of hostilities and began seeking a diplomatic resolution. Even though Saudi Arabia has refrained from direct military action in the last three years, it has yet to take accountability for the deaths and destruction it inflicted.