The quiet destruction of Yemen's cultural heritage

While the Syrian civil war and its repercussions both within and beyond the Middle East monopolise much of world media's attention, the conflict in nearby Yemen seems largely to escape attention, notwithstanding the indiscriminate attacks that are ravaging this already poor country.

While there are many reasons for the lack of reporting on this conflict, the prognosis for Yemen and its people is increasingly grim, whether measured in the conflict's human toll or its economic and physical impacts. On November 16, 2015 The Intercept published an excellent article on this latter aspect of the conflict, and particularly in relation to Yemen's rich cultural heritage. It makes for difficult reading, and no less disturbing are the photos of the damage caused by Saudi-led air strikes on historical buildings.

Given the willingness of Western governments to condemn the destruction of cultural heritage in places like Iraq, Syria and Mali, it is more than passing strange that these same governments would drag their feet when presented the opportunity recent at the UN to hold Saudi Arabia to account for its actions in Yemen.