The Yemen conflict has its roots in the 2011 Arab Spring, when an uprising forced the nation’s long-time authoritarian president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, to hand over the power to his deputy, Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi.

That particular political transition was supposed to bring stability to Yemen, one among the Middle East’s poorest countries, but President Hadi struggled to deal with several problems including militant attacks, food insecurity, corruption, and continuing loyalty of many military officers to Saleh.

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Fighting began in the year 2014 when the Houthi Shia Muslim rebel movement grasp advantage of the new president’s weakness and seized control of northern Saada province and its nearby areas.

The Houthis then went on to take the capital Sanaa and forcing Mr Hadi into exile abroad.

The conflict then escalated dramatically in March 2015, when Saudi Arabia & eight other mostly Sunni Arab states which were backed by the US, UK, & France also began airstrikes against the Houthis, with the declared goal of restoring Mr. Hadi’s government.

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Shia majority nation Iran provides support to Houthi Rebels

The Saudi-led coalition results in fear that the continued success of the Houthis would give their competitor regional power & Shia-majority state, Iran, a foothold in Yemen, Saudi Arabia’s southern neighbours. Also, Saudi Arabia says Iran is backing the Houthis with logistical support and weapons – a charge Iran denies. Both countries have since been beset by infighting. The Houthis got broke with Saleh & he was killed by Houthi fighters in Dec. 2017. On the other side, i.e., the anti-Houthi side, militias include separatists seeking independence for south Yemen & factions who oppose the idea.

Current events going on in Yemen

  • At present, the STC (Southern Transitional Council), a militia group that was fighting the Houthis as part of the Saudi-led coalition, also turned against their masters & captured the presidential palace in Aden and the city’s main port.
  • In response, Saudi jets targeted STC fighters just before a tenuous ceasefire set in. It now seems like a three-way conflict.
  • The Shia Houthis, who the Saudis argue are backed by Iran, are controlling much of the nation’s north including Sana’a.
  • Yemen’s internationally-backed govt. of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, the Saudi ally is managing the south, however, Mr Hadi is running the purported administration from Saudi Arabia.
  • The Southern Transitional Council wants the south to be an independent entity, as it was till the Yemeni unification in the year 1990.
  • The STC’s rebellion even signals the growing resistance in the multi-national coalition Saudi Arabia has also stitched together to fight the Houthis.
  • The STC is backed by the UAE (United Arab Emirates) which is a crucial partner of Saudi Arabia in its foreign policy adventures.

What are the consequences of Yemen’s Instability & crisis?

  • According to the United Nation, the stalemate has resulted in an unrelenting humanitarian crisis, with a minimum of 8.4 million people at risk of starvation and another 22.2 million people – 75 percent of the population – in requirement of humanitarian assistance.
  • Severe acute malnutrition is also threatening the lives of almost 4,00,000 children under five years of age.
  • The health system of Yemen has all but collapsed, while the largest cholera outbreak of the world has killed thousands.
  • In June month of 2018, the Saudi-backed govt. forces began an assault on the critical rebel-held port of Hudaydah, the entry point for the wide majority of aid going into Yemen & a lifeline for the starving.

Conclusion:

  • The current conflict in Yemen, the Arab world’s poorest nation, began when the government slashed fuel subsidies in the summer of the year 2014, prompting angry protests and also forcing thousands onto the streets of Sanaa.
  • According to the United Nation, more than two million Yemen families left their homes since the starting of the conflict, which has spread to several parts of the country.
  • In Sanaa, int. aid & assistance has failed to sustain those who require it, creating a critical shortage of medicine, food, and medical supplies, among others.
  • The data collected by Al Jazeera & the Yemen Data Project has also found that more than 18,000 air-attacks have been carried out in Yemen, with almost 1/3rd of all bombing missions striking non-military sites.

Way Forward

The Yemen conflict crisis has reached a stalemate long ago. The Houthis are losing their territory in recent months, whereas the Saudi coalition is facing growing int. pressure. While country Yemen is left with unimaginable human suffering. It is time for a countrywide ceasefire & talks with all stakeholders under the mediation of a willing United Nations to find a political settlement to the Yemen crisis. A proper solution to the Yemen conflict can be found only if the rebels and the govt. make some political concessions.

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