As the bloody conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues, Boris Johnson is meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to beg for an increase in Saudi oil production.
Johnson, who has arrived in Riyadh, said: "The UK is building an international coalition to deal with the new reality we face. The world must wean itself off Russian hydrocarbons and starve Putin’s addiction to oil and gas. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are key international partners in that."
However, it was under bin Salman's orders that the largest mass execution in Saudi’s modern history took place alongside the deadly bombing of civilians in Yemen. The crown prince was also implicated in the assassination of US-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
What's happening in Yemen?
At least 71 children have been killed in Ukraine in the weeks since Russia's invasion, with over 100 more injured. Meanwhile, on Saturday, one of the worst mass executions in Saudi's kingdom took place, with 81 men being executed within 24 hours for opposing the brutal regime of the country.
This comes as one of the world's worst humanitarian crisis continues to unfold in Yemen, seven years into the US-backed, Saudi-led war, which began in 2015
The UN children's fund also revealed that at least 47 children were “killed or maimed” in Yemen’s civil war just in January and February after a surge in violence.
In fact, children have been the "first and most to suffer" throughout the conflict, UNICEF has said.
How many people have died in Yemen?
More than 100,000 people have been killed in Yemen, according to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED). An estimated 85,000 have also died to due to the ongoing famine caused by the war.
Philippe Duamelle, UNICEF's representative to Yemen, also revealed: "Since the conflict escalated in Yemen nearly seven years ago, the UN verified that more than 10,200 children have been killed or injured. The actual number is likely much higher."
The conflict has also caused several basic services such as healthcare and education to collapse, with millions of people displaced and 80% of the population depending on aid to survive.
Why is Boris Johnson in Saudi Arabia?
Boris Johnson is visiting Saudi Arabia in an effort to end the UK's dependence on Russia's oil. He highlighted the Middle East nation announcing a £1 billion investment in green aviation fuel in Teesside.
He said: "That's the kind of thing we want to encourage - doesn't in any way mean we can't stick to our principles and raise those issues that we all care about."
Asked about whether the shift from Russia means opening up to other dangerous regimes, he said: “We want to build the widest possible coalition.”
However, Labour leader Keir Starmer has criticised Johnson's move, saying: "Going cap in hand from dictator to dictator is not an energy strategy.
"Saying we are not going to rely on Russia and then going to Saudi Arabia is not an energy strategy."
