Emma Grace Jarvis
Introduction
After a decade of conflict and civil war, the humanitarian crisis in Yemen remains one of the worst in the world. Situated in the south of the Arabian peninsula, Yemen is a relatively new country, founded in 1990 by the union of North and South Yemen. Yemen has been plagued by conflict and tensions since its founding, and the country currently finds itself caught in an elaborate web of proxy wars and international conflicts that go much deeper than within the country itself. As a result, an estimated two-thirds of the population desperately needs humanitarian assistance and protection. It is one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world and shows no signs of abating.
Civil War: A Decade of Conflict
Since 2011, the country has faced protests and governmental instability incited by the Arab Spring. The Arab Spring refers to the phenomenon of mass violent protests in the 2010s throughout the Arab world against many authoritarian regimes, such as in Libya, Egypt, Syria, Bahrain, and Yemen as well. These protests have had lasting effects and shifted governmental dichotomies in the region. Specifically in Yemen, although civil war houses a complex web of international players and warring factions, the most powerful group is the Houthis, a group of Shia rebels with ties to Iran. The opposing group is an internationally recognized Sunni government backed by the Saudi-led coalition.
The civil war officially began in 2014, when the Houthis took control of Sanaa, the capital, and ousted the government within the following year. In response, a Saudi-led coalition launched an air campaign that aimed to devastate the Houthis. Eventually, the country was plunged into a conflict fueled by broader Sunni and Shia divisions and Iranian and Saudi Arabian proxies.
The humanitarian crisis comes as a result of this prolonged war, and the civilians in Yemen have borne the brunt of this war. Every faction has been found to have violated human rights and international law, and it has left tens of thousands of citizens living in famine-like conditions. Additionally, the conflict has displaced 4.5 million people (14% of the population), and a majority of those have faced displacement more than once.
The economic cost of a decade of conflict has compounded with the effects of the war itself, as the Yemeni economy has fractured under the different warring factions. The currency of Yemen faced a significant devaluation in 2021, leading to less purchasing power and the ability of Yemeni citizens to afford basic necessities. The Yemeni people responded in mass protests across Southern Yemen against the economic state of their country, which were forcefully handled by security forces.
War, desperate economic conditions, and complex cultural divisions have all amalgamated into famine, displacement, and a lack of aid for the Yemeni people. It remains a major cause for global concern and necessitates continued monitoring and intervention by international players.
Progression
The conflict in Yemen has progressed as a result of the emergence of proxies such as the U.S., Saudi Arabia, and Iran in the conflict. Following the Houthi offensive in 2014, the Saudi coalition launched a naval blockade of Yemen in June 2015, which has become a central aspect of the war. Additionally, the U.S. became involved in the blockade, preventing Iranian weapons from reaching Yemen. Notably, the original president, Saleh, and his government were ousted in 2011 but later formed a temporary council with the Houthis. Within a year, the Houthi insurgents killed Saleh, and his followers were defeated swiftly soon thereafter by the Houthis as well. In 2016, al-Qaeda emerged as a growing power in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in southeastern Yemen and continues to be present to this day, although with a noticeable decline in influence over the region.
The fighting has continued since then with mutual trading of attacks, and although the United Arab Emirates pulled out of Yemen officially in 2021, it still holds significant influence in the conflict. The tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran still instigate the conflict, with Yemeni citizens paying the price. Notably, the United Nations (UN) has tried intervening in peace talks throughout the decade but has not succeeded in fostering lasting peace. The international community has intervened in the conflict with humanitarian efforts for the people of Yemen, but the source of the suffering has not been quelled.
Current State of Conflict
In 2023, the U.N. brokered a months-long temporary peace agreement between the Houthis and the Saudi coalition, which was not renegotiated after October 2nd. Since then, the conflict has continued in a seemingly endless stalemate, with each side trading blows. The Yemeni people continue to suffer as a result, with over 80% of the population under the poverty line, and by the end of 2024, over 600,000 children are said to be acutely malnourished. Over 140 aid groups are still at work in the country, helping to aid the over two million Yemeni citizens.
Notably, other recent global conflicts are intertwined with Yemen, as the war between Ukraine and Russia has worsened famine conditions, and the Houthis have participated in the reignition of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since October 7, 2023. Russia and Ukraine were the leading exporters of agricultural goods to Yemen, which have halted since the war, worsening the already scarce set of resources for the Yemeni people. Concerning Israel, the Iran-backed Houthis launched a missile attack aimed at Israel in September, further ingraining themselves with Iran and taking action on a global level against Israel.
Where do we go from here?
As an endless stalemate of war wages in Yemen, the real threat of famine and poverty for its people intensifies. Since 2014, the Houthi Rebels and the Saudi-backed government have sent Yemen into a tailspin of chaos and violence. These factions exemplify a proxy war between global powers in the Middle East and capture cultural and religious divides. An estimated 233,000 people have died, and many more have suffered as a result of these warring factions. Humanitarian aid continues from different charity organizations, but a long-term solution for the Yemeni people remains elusive.
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