madaresharghi [1]
selling arms to Saudi Arabia during the ongoing war in Yemen.
New estimates released by the children’s charity War Child reveal that since the Saudi-led coalition began its intervention in Yemen, UK weapons companies including BAE systems and Raytheon have earned revenues exceeding $8 billion from dealings with Saudi Arabia, generating profits estimated at almost $775 million, AL JAZEERA reported.
The UK government, however, has received just $40 million of corporate tax, the report said.
“This tax revenue figure is pitifully small and comes at the cost of thousands of children who have been killed, injured, and starved by a conflict that this trade has helped sustain,” the report said.
A Saudi-led military coalition was formed in March 2015 to support Yemen’s internationally recognized government in fighting the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
The conflict has killed more than 10,000 people and has injured more than 40,000 to date, according to the United Nations.
In the past three years, the UK has approved arms export licenses to Saudi Arabia worth $4.7 billion, including the Tornado aircraft, which is partially manufactured by BAE systems, vehicles and tanks, including BAE’s Tactical armored vehicles valued at $580,000 and $1.48 billion worth of grenades missiles and bombs, including Raytheon’s Paveway IV bombs.
Since then, Saudi Arabia has been involved both directly and indirectly in conflict in Yemen, where it faces accusations of war crimes and other abuses.
The report argues that the policy of selling arms to Saudi Arabia is financially inconsistent and does not ‘represent good value for money’.
The UK reaps a minimal tax take from arms sales in Saudi Arabia just $18 million in corporation tax in 2016 yet, the will spend $187 million in humanitarian aid to Yemen, according to War Child.
“The arms trade directly counteracts much of the benefits Yemeni children and other civilians might expect to receive from the provision of aid, undermining the Department for International Development’s policy of getting value for money from the aid it commits,” the report said.