Intl. coverage of Saudi war on Yemen very weak: Lecturer

Press TV has conducted an interview with Tim Anderson, a senior lecturer at the University of Sydney, to ask for his insight into the media coverage of the Saudi aggression against Yemen.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: Now, over 7,100 people have been killed since the attacks began against Yemen. It seems that the situation there isn’t being given the urgency that it deserves.

Anderson: Yes, the international coverage is very weak on it and particularly on the humanitarian crisis there. And there is some very strong alarming reports if you look for them but they’re not very prominent, it’s true.

Press TV: what needs to change for there to be more urgency given, more media presence as far as what’s happening in Yemen to this impoverished nation?

Anderson: There is some media coverage, but that’s coming from people who are sympathetic to the Yemenis. And all of the allies of the Saudis of course have gone quiet on it basically that I’d like to cover it up and sweep it under the carpet.

The Saudis themselves are under some sort of pressure, but it seems that they’re trying to contract foreign troops to help them and there’s a report from “TeleSUR” that they contracted 800 Colombian soldiers, they come in and try to support them.

Press TV: Right now also as we’ve been reporting just recently Saudi Arabia targeted a school in a town in Sana’a province. Also, we’ve seen over the past, hospitals, refugee camps, factories, homes and civilians have been targeted. Do you think international human rights organizations have done enough to bring this too late?

Anderson: The problem with international human rights organizations is they’re all very politically committed, if you look at the US groups like Human Rights Watch and all the one, the Amnesty International that was co-opted that become very embed with US state departments. So, it’s hard to raise their expectations about what these groups are going to do.

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