Every night as bombs rain down over their heads, parents in Yemen tuck their children into bed not knowing whether they will live to see the morning. It's estimated that 85,000 children under five have died since the outbreak of war in the region. 

The Saudi-led coalition bombing Yemen has been accused of repeatedly targeting civilians and committing war crimes. In response, Governments across the world are suspending arms deals which their military relies on. 

But one country is still signing new, lucrative deals to supply the Saudis with weapons: Australia.

Australian arms manufacturer EOS weapons - backed by $30m in subsidies from Australian taxpayers - has signed over $400m in deals to supply high tech killing machines to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Australia’s top defence officials last week refused to rule out that these weapons will be used in Yemen. 

The UN Secretary-General has described the situation in Yemen as “the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.”

The systematic targeting of residential areas, hospitals, farms, water facilities and essential infrastructure has led to the “greatest famine atrocity of our times”. Some scholars are saying the repeated targeting of civilians and flagrant breaches of rules of war are tantamount to genocide. 

That’s why Germany, Finland, the Netherlands and Denmark have all suspended arms trade with Saudi Arabia. Even the US Senate and the UK House of Lords have urged withdrawing osupport for Saudi Arabia’s position in the horrific conflict. 

Instead the Australian Government has seen an opportunity to help our arms dealers line their pockets and advance our Government’s goal of becoming one of the world’s top ten arms exporting nations. All off of the back of deaths and suffering. 

With the news this week dominated by other topics the Morrison Government is hoping this will slide into the background. But if enough of us speak up we can keep it in the headlines.

SumOfUs members all around the world are uniting against Saudi Arabia’s atrocities. And we’re gaining ground: SumOfUs members in Canada have been heaping pressure on Prime Minister Trudeau to suspend his Government's deal with Saudi Arabia. In France we helped elevate the issue by pushing MPs to deliver a report on the French trading of arms with countries at war. 

Governments and arms companies try their hardest to keep these deals in the shadows. People power can help bring these shameful deals to light.