[This is an ongoing post that will be updated regularly. It was first published on 6 December 2016. The updates appear at the bottom.]
The conflict in Yemen seems set to intensify as 2016 draws to a close. The deposed president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi returned to Aden from exile in mid-November after his government was reestablished in the southern city. This move, alongside a renewed ground campaign and the continued aerial bombardment throughout northern Yemen by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition, prompted Ansar Allah—the movement commonly known as the Houthis—and the faction of the General People’s Congress party loyal to Ali Abdullah Saleh, to establish a “national salvation government” in Sanaa under the leadership of Abdelaziz bin Habtoor.
These latest developments seem sure to undermine whatever potential diplomatic efforts may still have had in orchestrating a sustained ceasefire. Meanwhile, the conflict in Yemen, and the peaceful attempts to end it, have been woefully underreported by both the alternative press (Jadaliyya included) and the mainstream media. When it has been covered, journalists—taking their cue from government spokespersons and think tank experts—have tended to reduce the conflict to a proxy war between Hadi’s internationally-recognized and Saudi-backed “legitimate” government and the Iranian-allied Ansar Allah rebels in an inherently unstable country.
This framework has the unfortunate consequence of 1) obscuring the role that US imperialism has played in destabilizing and impoverishing the country; 2) misrepresenting the influence of Iran and Saudi Arabia as equivalent in Yemen; and 3) erasing the internal historical conditions that led to the political crisis. Instead, what has transpired since Ansar Allah and its allies took control of the capital in September 2014 is more the unraveling of a northern-based historic bloc and the disastrous effects of the post-uprising counterrevolutionary “transition” plan that sought to shore up the interests of Gulf autocracies at the expense of the democratic aspirations of Yemen’s people. Those in the southern highlands and coastal regions have paid an especially high cost, as Ansar Allah and Saleh forces contend with Hadi loyalists, Salafi and Al-Qa‘ida in the Arabian Peninsula militants, popular resistance groups, and secessionist fighters (sometimes allied with each other, other times against) for control. The fulfillment of their desire for self rule, whether in a federated political system or as an independent state, seems further away than ever. In the wake of this frustration and suffering, an autochthonous politics is emerging, with hundreds of civilians of northern “origins” attacked and expelled from their homes in southern areas.
Without doubt, the Ansar Allah-Saleh alliance has caused its share of suffering, but Saudi Arabia’s war on Yemen has transformed an internal political crisis into a full-fledged humanitarian emergency. Its bombing campaigns—for which the United States and United Kingdom continue to supply arms and provide intelligence and targeting information—have led to the majority of the over ten thousand deaths documented from this conflict, with attacks on funerals, weddings, hospitals, schools, markets, homes, and fishing ports killing thousands of civilians. Meanwhile, its air and sea blockade of the country has exacerbated the poverty and food insecurity of Yemen to such an extent that roughly twenty million Yemenis are in need of humanitarian assistance.
In the coming months, a number of regional and global developments will have a significant impact on the course of events in Yemen:
The inauguration of Donald Trump as US president on 20 January raises questions about how shifts in US foreign policy will affect the Yemeni conflict, especially with regard to US relations with Saudi Arabia and Iran.
The role of Iran in the conflict has been small, despite the tremendously overblown claims by Saudi Arabia and certain segments of the mainstream media and political establishment. Ansar Allah itself has keenly refuted any accusation of undue influence and just last week publicly warned Iran of any regional designs it might have. However, a small Iranian naval fleet has now been deployed off the southern coast of Yemen after the United States targeted Ansar Allah sites with cruise missiles in late October—it is unclear to what extent the situation may escalate.
The war in Syria and the geopolitical interests involved have largely overshadowed, and in part governed, how regional and global powers have operated in the Yemeni conflict. That will continue to be the case if and when those forces in Syria realign in the coming months.
With a number of other political developments on the horizon, the outcome of the Yemeni conflict is increasingly uncertain. We will continue to update this account as events unfold. Your comments on what we may have missed, or contributions in the form of links and developments, are welcome at ap@jadaliyya.com.
5 December 2016
“The Saudi-led coalition has been accused of bombing multiple international hospitals run by the charity Médecins Sans Frontières, as well as schools, funerals and wedding parties. Strikes on a wedding in September killed 131 people, including children, in the capital Sanaa.”
Boris Johnson says 'we do not think the threshold has been crossed' by Saudi Arabia's bombing of Yemen
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-threshold-crossed-saudi-arabia-yemen-british-weapons-bae-systems-arms-trade-andrew-a7454731.html
5 December 2016
“Every day children are perishing in rural Yemen, where two-thirds of the nation’s population lives. Parents are forced to decide between saving their sick children and preventing healthier ones from following the same perilous route. Cemeteries in this desperately poor and rugged stretch of villages in the northwest contain the bodies of children who have recently died of hunger and preventable diseases. Most are buried in unmarked graves, their deaths unreported to authorities.”
In Yemen’s war, trapped families ask: Which child should we save?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/in-yemens-war-trapped-families-ask-which-child-should-we-save/2016/11/30/c2240cf4-7d60-4132-989f-2128b077efbb_story.html?utm_term=.1b6a7733dd7e
5 December 2016
“It’s sad, because Yemen has never witnessed something like this, we are experiencing a humanitarian disaster because of this war. Innocent people are dying. The heart bleeds when you think of all the tragedies. And the bombing of the funeral hall was the worst, it was one of the ugliest crimes that I have seen.
I have been a photographer in Yemen since forever, so I’m quite plugged in. When something happens, I usually get a call very quickly. On that day in October, I got a call from my nephew who lives nearby and who told me that a hall holding a funeral appeared to have been hit.”
When the heart bleeds
https://correspondent.afp.com/when-heart-bleeds
5 December 2016
“For more than a year, the Houthis have besieged government-controlled districts from their positions around the city. They have been accused of indiscriminately shelling residential areas and medical facilities and restricting deliveries of aid. Meanwhile, the pro-government fighters who control the heart of Taiz are alleged to have tortured, kidnapped and summarily killed their opponents. Both sides, but particularly the Houthis, have been accused of using snipers against innocent civilians.”
Yemen conflict: Terror of life under siege in Taiz
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-38152428
5 December 2016
“The U.S.-backed, Saudi-led war on Yemen continues to be largely ignored. One reason for this is that the near-famine conditions that exist throughout much of the country and the deaths that result from them are invisible in official accounts of how many have been killed by the war. Many of the war’s victims are killed by hunger or preventable disease, and yet the warring parties have caused their deaths all the same. The humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen is every bit as terrible as any in the world, and it is probably the worst of all in some respects, but because the victims are largely cut off from the outside world their plight remains mostly unknown. Even when it is made known, it tends to be greeted by indifference because the people suffering are perceived to be on the “wrong” side or because it is an embarrassment to the U.S., Britain, and their client governments.”
The Starvation of Yemen Continues
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/the-starvation-of-yemen-continues-2/
5 December 2016
تزامنت عودة هادي إلى عدن مع إصداره قرارات عسكرية شملت تغييرات كبيرة، منها تعيين اللواء الركن أحمد سيف اليافعي نائبا لرئيس «هيئة الأركان العامة»، إضافة إلى التوجيه بإرسال تعزيزات عسكرية إلى تعز تشمل «إمدادات وعتاداً عسكرياً ثقيلاً ودعماً بالمدرعات وبالجنود لحسم المعركة في المحافظة»، وفق تلك المصادر.
أما إسماعيل ولد الشيخ، فالتقى، أمس، أمير الكويت، صباح الأحمد الصباح، لبحث فرصة استكمال المشاورات التي كان للكويت دور كبير في استضافتها قبل شهور، رغم أنها لم تفض إلى نتيجة. كما التقى المبعوث الأممي، النائب الأول لرئيس مجلس الوزراء وزير الخارجية الكويتي، صباح خالد الصباح، في الشأن نفسه
ولد الشيخ في الكويت... ومعركة «استعادة تعز» طور التحشيد
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/269125
5 December 2016
استشهدت طفلة وأصيب والدها واثنين من إخوانها بجروح اليوم الأحد جراء غارة شنها طيران العدوان السعودي الأمريكي استهدفت منزلا في محافظة صعدة.
وأوضح مراسل "المسيرة نت" أن طيران العدوان استهدف منزلا في منطقة بني معين بمديرية رازح بالمحافظة ما أدى إلى استشهاد طفلة وجرح والدها واثنين من إخوانها، بالإضافة إلى تدمير المنزل وإلحاق أضرار مادية جسيمة في محيط المنزل.
وأشار المراسل إلى أن الطفلة تم انتشالها من تحت أنقاض منزلها المدمر.
وكانت قد استشهدت امرأة وأصيبت طفلتان، في وقت سابق اليوم الأحد، في خمس غارات شنها طيران العدوان السعودي الأمريكي على مديرية باقم بمحافظة صعدة شمالي اليمن
استشهاد طفلة وإصابة والدها وأخويها في غارة للعدوان استهدفت منزلا في صعدة
http://www.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=807&cat_id=3
6 December 2016
“The siege of Yemen has taken our country back of hundreds of years. Most of the country is out of work and there are shortages of electricity, gas, food and water. For almost 600 days children have gone to bed, every single night, fearing the sound of airplanes.
Cholera is spreading here and the threat of famine is looming over millions. We are seeing scenes that remind us of Biafra, Ethiopia in the 1970s and 1980s. We look back to the Yemen we used to know and so little stands. Memories clash with the reality.”
In Yemen children with cancer are dying in agony
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2016/dec/06/in-yemen-children-with-cancer-are-dying-in-agony
6 December 2016
“The explosion occurred in the remote desert area of al-Uqla in the southern province of Shabwa, the officials said, and severed the link between Yemen's gas-producing Marib region and the export terminal of Balhaf on the Arabian Sea.
Oil and gas once accounted for most of Yemen's state revenue before a civil war and military intervention led by Saudi Arabia halted their export and unleashed a humanitarian crisis.”
Qaeda militants blow up Yemen gas export pipeline: local officials
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-gas-idUSKBN13U2HA
6 December 2016
“It is one testimony from a war that has caused child malnutrition rates to jump by 200% in two years. Fifty per cent of medical facilities no longer function. Some have been bombed by the Saudi-led coalition, others have ground to a halt because there is no funding. Key roads and bridges are frequently attacked, making the delivery of assistance even more difficult.”
Yemen's suffering knows no bounds as war drags on
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-38220785
6 December 2016
"نقلت وكالة «فرانس برس» عن المصدر نفسه أن هادي عارض خلال اجتماعه مع مبعوث الأمم المتحدة الخاص إلى اليمن، إسماعيل ولد الشيخ أحمد، خلال لقائهما الخميس الماضي، «خريطة الطريق» التي تقدم بها الأخير.
وضمن السقوف العالية، طلب هادي، وفق المصدر نفسه، أن يعلن كل من الرئيس اليمني السابق علي عبد الله صالح، وزعيم «جماعة أنصار الله» عبد الملك الحوثي، «تخليهما عن العمل السياسي وإلزامهما الخروج من اليمن إلى منفى اختياري لمدة عشر سنوات، وتطبيق العقوبات الدولية الصادرة عن مجلس الأمن بحقهما."
هادي يرفع سقفه: أرحل بعد نفي صالح والحوثي
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/269189
6 December 2016
"نقلت رويترز عن المسؤولين أن الانفجار وقع في منطقة العقلة الصحراوية النائية بمحافظة شبوة في الجنوب وقطع الخط الواصل بين محافظة مأرب المنتجة للغاز ومرفأ بلحاف التصديري على بحر العرب.
ومثل النفط والغاز في وقت من الأوقات معظم إيرادات الدولة اليمنية قبل أن توقف الحرب الأهلية وتدخل عسكري تقوده السعودية تلك الصادرات وتتسبب في أزمة إنسانية"
مسلحو "القاعدة" يفجرون خط الأنابيب الوحيد لتصدير الغاز في اليمن
http://tinyurl.com/h48w5bq
6 December 2016
"تضرر قطاع الرياضة في اليمن كثيرا من الصراع الدائر بين حركة أنصار الله الحوثية وحكومة الرئيس عبد ربه منصور هادي
و تكبد هذا القطاع خسائر بمئات ملايين من الدولارات، ودُمرت عشرات المنشآت الرياضية.
ووجد كثير من الرياضيين، الذين حصدوا ألقابا لصالح اليمن في السابق، أنفسهم مضطرين إلى البحث عن عمل، بل إن بعضهم تحول إلى محاربين".
الصراع في اليمن: من بطل رياضي إلى حمال بضائع
http://www.bbc.com/arabic/media-38202373
6 December 2016
People in need by governorate (Acute and Moderate)
http://ochayemen.org/hno-2017/#resources
7 December 2016
“More than 7,000 people have been killed in Yemen's war and three million people have been forced to flee their homes. The UN estimates 14 million are at risk of hunger with half of those on the brink of famine.”
Yemen's war leaves children on the brink of famine
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-38229955
7 December 2016
“The crisis in Yemen has been overshadowed by the wars in Syria and Iraq. Barely 50% of the funding promised by donors has actually been delivered. The senior UN official in the country, Jamie McGoldrick, is clearly exasperated at the international response.
‘The politics of the situation has overcome the humanity,’ he says. ‘The humanity doesn't work anymore here. The world has turned a blind eye to what's happening in Yemen... right now we are so under-resourced for this crisis, it's extraordinary.’”
Yemen conflict: UN official accuses world of ignoring crisis
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-38220785
7 December 2016
“Even before the start of the conflict in March 2015, Yemen was suffering a humanitarian crisis including widespread hunger, brought on by decades of poverty and internal strife.
Around half of Yemen's 28 million people are "food insecure," according to the United Nations, and seven million of them do not know where they will get their next meal.”
The world has forgotten the Yemen war, says senior UN humanitarian official
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/yemen-war-saudi-arabia-world-forgotten-houthi-rebels-conflict-un-official-comments-a7460081.html
7 December 2016
“A 20 month long war, waged between a Saudi-led coalition of Gulf countries and the Government of Yemen against the Houthis, has killed and injured over 11,000 civilians, forced more than 3 million people to flee their homes and brought the economy to near collapse.
Oxfam is calling on the Saudi-led coalition to lift shipping restrictions to allow food and other vital imports to increase, and on all parties in the conflict to allow food to move freely around the country and agree a meaningful ceasefire and restart peace talks. It is also calling for rich countries to increase support to the UN aid effort which is currently only 58 per cent funded and short of over $686 million (£540m).”
Yemen: a few months away from running out of food
http://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-few-months-away-running-out-food
7 December 2016
“An investigative body set up by the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said on Tuesday it should apologize for a deadly attack on a Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) hospital in August that the group said killed 11 people.
But the Joint Group to Assess Incidents found the coalition was not responsible for or had legitimately targeted fighters in four other incidents that rights groups blamed on Saudi-led bombings and together killed dozens of people.”
Investigation urges coalition apology for Yemen hospital attack
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-saudi-idUSKBN13V2JC
7 December 2016
"اتهم مسؤول بارز في مجال الشؤون الإنسانية بالأمم المتحدة العالم بغض الطرف عن كارثة إنسانية متفاقمة يشهدها اليمن وقال منسق الأمم المتحدة للشؤون الإنسانية في اليمن جيمي ماغولدريك لبي بي سي إن الأطفال يموتون جوعا بسبب نقص التمويل الدولي الهائل للتعامل مع تداعيات الأزمة في اليمن..
وأوضح أن البنى التحتية في اليمن قد انهارت، وأكثر من نصف السكان لا يملكون الوسائل لتلبية احتياجاتهم الأساسية.
وقال إن العالم "سيندم لعدم فعل المزيد لمساعدة اليمن" في محنته."
مسؤول أممي يحذر من كارثة إنسانية متفاقمة في اليمن ويدعو العالم للتحرك
http://www.bbc.com/arabic/middleeast-38231755
7 December 2016
"وعند الحدود اليمنية السعودية حيث تحدث مصدر عسكري يمني عن مقتل 4 جنود سعوديين برصاص قناصة الجيش واللجان الشعبية في مواقع الضَبْرة والمُعَنّق وقائم زَبيد بجَيزان السعودية، يأتي ذلك بعد احراق مخزن اسلحة للجيش السعودي بالتزامن مع قصف تحصيناتهم بموقع الفَريضة بجيزان، كما القت طائرات التحالف السعودي قنبلة عنقودية على جبل الدُود بجيزان وفق ما تحدث به مصدر عسكري يمني".
مقاتلات التحالف السعودي تستهدف حي سكن الضباط شمال اليمن بالقنابل العنقودية
http://www.almayadeen.net/news/politics/47886/%D9%85%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF%D9%8A-%D8%AA%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%AF%D9%81-%D8%AD%D9%8A-%D8%B3%D9%83%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B6%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B7-%D8%B4%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82
8 December 2016
“The government says the incident took place five days ago, but it appears that it was only confirmed on Tuesday. The cause of the disaster is not clear, but a minister said it was an accident. The government has asked merchant vessels and warships in the area to help search for survivors, some of whom are believed to have escaped in lifeboats.”
Yemen ship sinking: 35 rescued off coast
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-38235043
8 December 2016
“Yemen appeared to reject the U.N. plan on Tuesday, calling it a 'dangerous international precedent' that would legitimize the rebellion against the internationally recognised government. State Department spokesman Mark Toner told a news briefing the United States was 'disappointed' by Yemen's reaction.”
U.S. urges Yemen to accept U.N.-drafted roadmap for peace talks
http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-yemen-security-usa-idUKKBN13W2MR
8 December 2016
“The Treasury added Al-Hasan Ali Ali Abkar, Abdallah Faysal Sadiq al-Ahdal and the Rahmah Charitable Organization to its list of specially designated nationals and entities that support or engage in terrorism. It said the Rahmah Charitable Organization acted as a "front organization" for the group Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).”
U.S. sanctions two Yemenis, charity tied to al Qaeda in Yemen
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-usa-terrorism-idUSKBN13W22G
8 December 2016
“(Beirut) – The Saudi Arabia-led coalition killed several dozen civilians in three apparently unlawful airstrikes in September and October 2016, Human Rights Watch said today. The coalition’s use of United States-supplied weapons in two of the strikes, including a bomb delivered to Saudi Arabia well into the conflict, puts the US at risk of complicity in unlawful attacks.”
Yemen: US-Made Bombs Used in Unlawful Airstrikes
https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/12/08/yemen-us-made-bombs-used-unlawful-airstrikes
9 December 2016
“This is Sa’ada, ground zero of the 20-month Saudi campaign in Yemen, a largely forgotten conflict that has killed more than 10,000, uprooted 3 million and left perhaps 14 million – more than half the country – short of food, many on the brink of starvation.”
'Everything is over now': the last survivors in Yemen's ground zero
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/09/everything-is-over-now-the-last-survivors-in-yemens-ground-zero
9 December 2016
“Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is extremely concerned about the recent declaration made by the official spokesperson of the Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT) on Yemen, Mansour Ahmad Al-Mansour, about the bombing of Abs hospital, in Hajjah governorate, on 15 August 2016. This public declaration does not reflect the conversations MSF had in Saudi Arabia with the JIAT and military forces after the attack. MSF also conducted its own investigation into the incident, which has been shared with the Saudi authorities.”
Yemen: Saudi-led airstrike on Abs hospital cannot be justified as "unintentional error"
http://www.msf.org/en/article/yemen-saudi-led-airstrike-abs-hospital-cannot-be-justified-unintentional-error
9 December 2016
“The US knew that the Saudi-led coalition was committing abuses in Yemen, but they sold them this weapon anyway.
31 civilians were killed, including 3 children.”
Human Rights Watch
https://www.facebook.com/HumanRightsWatch/videos/10154733869264354/
9 December 2016
“Johnson lamented as a mistake Britain's 1968 decision to shut its Gulf military bases, which had helped anchor its global empire for more than a century, and said Britain now sought to restore the influence he suggested it had lost in the decades since.
‘Britain is back east of Suez, not as the greatest military power on earth ... but as a nation that is active in and deeply committed to the region.’”
UK’s Johnson courts Gulf after Saudi comments draw putdown
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-gulf-johnson-idUSKBN13Y2HG
10 December 2016
“A suicide bomber killed at least 50 Yemeni soldiers at a base in the city of Aden, a local security official said, in another major attack claimed by Islamic State on forces allied to a Saudi-led military coalition.”
Suicide bomber kills at least 50 Yemeni troops in Aden
http://news.trust.org/item/20161210143958-lsmbh/
12 December 2016
“Nearly 2.2 million children in Yemen are acutely malnourished and require urgent care. At least 462,000 children suffer from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), a drastic increase of almost 200 per cent since 2014. An additional 1.7 million children suffer from Moderate Acute Malnutrition.”
Malnutrition among children in Yemen at an all-time high, warns UNICEF
http://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/malnutrition-amongst-children-yemen-all-time-high-warns-unicef-enar
12 December 2016
“BBC Arabic's Nawal al-Maghafi is one of the first journalists to report from the rebel stronghold of Saada, in the north - one of the places hardest hit by the Saudi-led air campaign, which began in March 2015.”
Yemen’s war: Inside the rebels’ battered stronghold
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-38297304
12 December 2016
شهدت محافظة صعدة مؤخرا معارك ضارية بين الحوثيين والقوات الحكومية مدعومة بقوات التحالف العربي بقيادة السعودية.
بي بي سي ترصد الأوضاع في مدينة صعدة اليمنية
http://www.bbc.com/arabic/media-38300175
13 December 2016
“The United States has decided to limit military support to Saudi Arabia's campaign in Yemen because of concerns over widespread civilian casualties and will halt a planned arms sale to the kingdom.”
U.S. to halt some arms sales to Saudi, citing civilian deaths in Yemen campaign
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-saudiarabia-yemen-exclusive-idUSKBN1421UK
14 December 2016
“It comes amid reported discoveries of Britain-made weapons in bombed parts of the country.
Prime Minister Abdulaziz bin Habtour claimed the UK Government cared more about making profits from arms sales than the humanitarian crisis enveloping his country.”
Yemen's Prime Minister accuses UK of war crimes
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/yemen-prime-minister-uk-war-crimes-abdulaziz-bin-habtour-a7473001.html
14 December 2016
“It was not immediately clear who killed the men and why, but Aden al-Ghad said the condition of the bodies suggested they had been dumped there more than a month ago.
Yemen's second largest city has been suffering from lawlessness, as armed groups including Islamic State and al Qaeda continue to maintain influence nearly a year and-a-half after supporters of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, backed by Arab coalition troops, drove the Iran-aligned Houthis out.”
Eleven headless bodies found in Yemen's port city Aden: news website
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-bodies-idUSKBN1430FP
14 December 2016
“It was the latest in a series of strikes by pilotless planes, believed to be operated by the United States, in war-torn Yemen.
The officials said the vehicle was traveling on a main road between the Marib governorate and al-Jawf when it was attacked.”
Four suspected al Qaeda members killed in drone strike in Yemen: officials
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-idUSKBN1422I7
14 December 2016
"وأضاف أنه في الوقت الذي تلغي واشنطن بعض مبيعات الأسلحة للسعودية، إلا أنها ستواصل تزويد الرياض بالمعلومات الاستخباراتية التي تركز على الأمن على حدود البلاد.
وأشار برايز إلى أن " الولايات المتحدة ستوفر تدريباً للطيارين المشاركين في الضربات الجوية في اليمن لتفادي سقوط ضحايا مدنيين".
وأردف أن الولايات المتحدة ستمضي قدماً في الكثير من العقود المبرمة بين البلدين ومنها، بيع طائرات هليكوبتر عسكرية تقدر قيمتها بثلاثة ملايين دولار أمريكي."
الولايات المتحدة ستحد من مبيعات الأسلحة للسعودية بسبب الضربات في اليمن
http://www.bbc.com/arabic/middleeast-38311421
14 December 2016
وقالت «اليونيسف» في بيان أمس الاول «يموت في اليمن على الأقل طفلاً واحداً كل عشر دقائق بسبب أمراض يمكن الوقاية منها، مثل الإسهال وسوء التغذية والتهاب الجهاز التنفسي».
وأضافت «يعاني حوالي 2,2 مليون طفل يمني من سوء التغذية الحاد ويحتاجون إلى العناية العاجلة»، موضحة أن «بين هؤلاء الأطفال 462 ألف طفل على الأقل يعانون «من سوء التغذية الحاد الوخيم»، في زيادة كبيرة «تصل إلى 200 في المئة مقارنة بالعام 2014».
اليمن: طفل يموت كل عشر دقائق
https://assafir.com/Article/1/520222
14 December 2016
عادت مقاتلات تحالف العدوان، الذي تقوده السعودية، إلى «حفلات القصف الهستيري» على العاصمة اليمنية، صنعاء، وذلك بعد انتهاء مهرجان حاشد بمناسبة ذكرى المولد النبوي، فيما كانت أبرز الاستهدافات لمنطقة السبعين المجاورة لدار الرئاسة، ومنصة الاحتفال ليلة انتهائه.
قصف «هستيري» على صنعاء... وهادي تحت مقصلة التفجيرات
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/269506
15 December 2016
“More than 400,000 children are at risk of starvation in Yemen, with nearly 2.2 million in need of urgent care, according to the UN children's agency UNICEF.
New figures indicate that hunger among children has reached an "all-time high", with at least 462,000 suffering from severe acute malnutrition - a drastic increase of about 200 percent since 2014.”
UNICEF: One child dies every 10 minutes in Yemen
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/12/unicef-child-dies-10-minutes-yemen-161212192354606.html
15 December 2016
“In October, more than 140 people were killed in a strike on a funeral in the country. BBC Arabic's Nawal al-Maghafi reports from Sanaa, the capital of Yemen.”
Yemen: 'I wanted to fly and escape bombing'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-38324777
15 December 2016
“There’s another notable thing about Yemen, which makes its near-total lack of media attention all the more jarring: Washington is giving direct military support to the Saudi campaign, including providing aerial refueling of the Saudi warplanes that have hit schools, hospitals, and other civilian targets across the country. That’s raising serious questions about whether the US is complicit in potential Saudi war crimes.”
The US may be aiding war crimes in Yemen
http://www.vox.com/2016/12/14/13902932/yemen-saudi-war-crimes
15 December 2016
“Instead of concentrating work on its possibly positive role at the UNSC, Britain appears to be more focused on pandering to the GCC states to ensure their continuing contribution to the British economy and finances post-Brexit. This strategy means that exporting arms to the GCC states, particularly Saudi Arabia takes priority over helping to bring peace and a viable state for millions of poor Yemenis.”
In Yemen, the war goes on and on and on...
https://www.opendemocracy.net/arab-awakening/helen-lackner/in-yemen-war-goes-on-and-on-and-on
15 December 2016
“The ramifications of the conflict have pierced all aspects of day-to-day life in the country. Its lifelines – the medical infrastructure, water, electricity, economy, transportation, to name only a few – already weakened by decades of neglect and corruption, are on the cusp of a major collapse. Absolute catastrophe has only been averted by the modest work of the few international NGOs able to operate in the country, but calamity has mainly been held at bay by the stubborn dedication and perseverance of the Yemeni people, who are determined to keep the country functioning as best they can.”
Yemen: The Needs are Great
http://raiinstitute.org/ri-insights/politics/yemen-the-needs-are-great-2
16 December 2016
“Trade and aid sources say the situation was compounded in September when Yemen's exiled president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, ordered the central bank's headquarters moved from the capital Sanaa, controlled by Houthi rebels in the north, to the southern port of Aden, the seat of the new government.”
Yemen traders halt new wheat imports as famine approaches
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-food-exclusive-idUSKBN1450H6
16 December 2016
"Saudi Arabia began bombing Yemen in March 2015, seven months after Houthi rebels overran the capital city Sanaa and deposed the Saudi-backed leader, Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The U.S. has been a silent partner to the war ever since, supplying targeting intelligence, flying refueling missions for Saudi aircraft, and authorizing more than $20 billion in new weapons transfers. Since the beginning of his administration, President Barack Obama has sold $115 billion in weapons to the Saudis, more than any of his predecessors."
Banned in 116 Countries, US Cluster Bombs Continue to Orphan Yemeni Children
https://theintercept.com/2016/12/14/banned-by-119-countries-u-s-cluster-bombs-continue-to-orphan-yemeni-children/
16 December 2016
“Yemen is mired in conflict, with rebels holding the capital and Saudi Arabia bombing them, with American help. Our reporters witnessed the devastating effects.”
We Visited the Place the World Has Forgotten
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/12/16/world/middleeast/yemen-war-saudi-arabia-we-visited-the-place-the-world-has-forgotten.html?_r=0
16 December 2016
“كثّفت مقاتلات «التحالف» غاراتها في سماء العاصمة صنعاء وضواحيها، خلال اليومين الماضيين، بأكثر من خمس عشرة غارة متفرقة تلت أربع عشرة أخرى، واستهدفت مواقع عسكرية (مفترضة) وتعزيزات تابعة لمقاتلي «أنصار الله» والقوات المتحالفة معها. وكان طيران «التحالف» قد عاود، أول من أمس، قصف نقيل يسلح (طريق صنعاء ــ ذمار)، بخمس غارات متتالية، للمرة الثالثة على التوالي خلال الأيام القليلة الماضية”
تصاعد المواجهات وقصف العدوان... ومبادرات سياسية عالقة
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/269697
17 December 2016
“Armed groups belonging to the "Popular Resistance" have taken over the government of large areas of Taiz province, kicking out civil directors appointed by the internationally recognised Yemen government and claiming corruption and lack of support in the battle against the Houthi rebels.
In an interview with Middle East Eye in the battle-scarred government compound in al-Turbah, Abu Hamza, the local leader of the Salafi "Hasm" group, said loyalists of President Abd Rabbuh Monsour Hadi had diverted taxes back to his powerbase in Aden, refused to pay public workers, and had done nothing to support the Popular Resistance as it fought to break a Houthi siege earlier this year.”
Yemen Government Kicked Out of Taiz by Popular Resistance
http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/yemen-taiz-rival-governments-888607796
18 December 2016
“The Sunday morning blast targeted soldiers waiting to collect their salaries outside a Yemeni coast guard installation near Aden’s Solaban military base, according to the officials. It followed a Dec. 10 car bombing outside the base, also claimed by Islamic State, that killed more than 50 soldiers who had also lined up to collect payments.”
Islamic State Claims Responsibility for Yemen Bombing that Kills at Least 48 People
http://www.wsj.com/articles/yemen-bombing-kills-at-least-23-people-1482046988
19 December 2016
The United States has been directing drone strikes against what it calls al-Qaeda targets in Yemen since 2002, but our military involvement in that country increased dramatically in 2015 when U.S. ally Saudi Arabia inserted itself into a civil war there. Since then, the United States has been supplying intelligence and mid-air refueling for Saudi bombers (many of them American-made F-15s sold to that country). The State Department has also approved sales to the Saudis of $1.29 billion worth of bombs — “smart” and otherwise — together with $1.15 billion worth of tanks, and half a billion dollars of ammunition. And that, in total, is only a small part of the $115 billion total in military sales the United States has offered Saudi Arabia since President Obama took power in 2009.
In Yemen, Yet Another Undeclared U.S. War
https://lobelog.com/in-yemen-yet-another-undeclared-u-s-war/
19 December 2016
“Women and girls constitute half of the 2.18 million people who have been internally displaced. Here are stories of some of them now living in the Dharwan settlement, outside the capital, Sanaa.”
In pictures: Yemen's displaced women and girls
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-38305875
19 December 2016
“It is understood the government’s own investigations back up media reports that such cluster bombs have been deployed in the war, in which Britain is helping to train Saudi forces. A source told the Guardian that Fallon is among the ministers to have known about the analysis for about a month.
But it is understood ministers have still not been given definitive confirmation one way or the other by Saudi Arabia, which has publicly denied the allegations and claimed that UK-made cluster bombs found are the relics of old conflicts.”
UK cluster bombs used in Yemen by Saudi Arabia, finds research
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/dec/18/uk-cluster-bombs-used-in-yemen-by-saudi-arabia-finds-research
19 December 2016
“Yemen's 20-month-old war has killed more than 10,000 people and triggered humanitarian crises, including chronic food shortages, in the poorest country in the Arabian peninsula.
Jubeir, speaking in Arabic, told a joint news conference with Kerry: "This news that has been leaked contradicts reality. The reality is that converting regular bombs to smart bombs would be welcome because smart bombs are more accurate.
"The kingdom has received nothing official from the American government in this regard," he said in answer to a question on reported delays of U.S. weapons supplies.”
Saudi Arabia, U.S. play down reports of curbs on military support
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-saudiarabia-yemen-idUSKBN1470LB
19 December 2016
“Before dawn one morning, fighter jets from a U.S.-backed, Saudi-led coalition fired four missiles at Kawkaban, killing seven residents of the town that lies inside the citadel and pulverizing its ancient gateway. Behind the shattered walls, 700-year-old houses known for their spectacular architecture are now mounds of rubble.
Across this war-torn country, factories, hospitals and power plants have been leveled, threatening Yemen’s future. In Kawkaban and elsewhere, the past lies in ruins, too.”
‘Why is the world so quiet?’ Yemen suffers its own cruel losses, far from Aleppo.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/why-is-the-world-so-quiet-yemen-suffers-its-own-cruel-losses-far-from-aleppo/2016/12/18/0b13e0ab-b19d-447d-b93b-6c2807a5067d_story.html?utm_term=.d2544922ee8b
19 December 2016
“The effort to reinstate what Saudi King Salman, his son Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, and international sycophants deem the “internationally recognized” client Hadi government has been an abysmal failure, and instead has contributed to internecine bloodshed and even provoked blowback into the Kingdom itself.
So, for more than a year the objective seems to be to starve Yemen into submission.”
Quick Thoughts: Sheila Carapico on the Current State and Future Prospects of the War in Yemen
http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/25716/quick-thoughts_sheila-carapico-on-the-current-stat
20 December 2016
“Saudi Arabia has finally admitted that it used UK-manufactured cluster bombs against Houthi rebels in Yemen, increasing pressure on the British government which has repeatedly refused to curb arms sales to Riyadh.
“Saudi Arabia said it would cease to use UK-manufactured cluster bombs and that it had informed the UK government of this decision.”
Saudi Arabia admits it used UK-made cluster bombs in Yemen
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/19/saudi-arabia-admits-use-uk-made-cluster-bombs-yemen
20 December 2016
“An estimated 2.2 million people are currently displaced, of whom 77 per cent are living either with host communities (1.2 million people) or in rented accommodation (480,000 people).(2) The rest are living in spontaneous settlements or collective centers. In addition, slightly more than 1 million people have provisionally returned to their areas of origin, although the sustainability of these returns remains precarious.(2) Over 3,000 locations were assessed, about 90 per cent in IDP and host communities and 10 per cent in areas of return with host communities, across the 333 districts of Yemen. The results are an in-depth understanding of the needs of this vulnerable population.”
Yemen: Humanitarian Snapshot - IDPs, returnees and host communities (as of December 2016)
http://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-humanitarian-snapshot-idps-returnees-and-host-communities-december-2016
20 December 2016
“ADEN: At least 22 people were killed in clashes between government forces and rebels on the outskirts of the flash point city of Taiz in southwest Yemen, military sources said Tuesday.”
At least 22 dead in clashes in Yemen's Taiz
https://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2016/Dec-20/386064-at-least-22-dead-in-clashes-in-yemens-taez.ashx
20 December 2016
“At least 1,219 children have died as a direct result of the fighting but now a chronic lack of medical supplies and staff has caused an additional 10,000 preventable deaths since the start of the war– the invisible casualties of the Yemen crisis.
More than 270 health facilities have been damaged as a result of the conflict and recent estimates suggest that more than half of 3,500 assessed health facilities are now closed or only partially functioning. This has left eight million children without access to basic healthcare, according to the UN.
There are also critical shortages of qualified staff throughout the country, with many doctors and staff either leaving Yemen or forced to flee their homes and being internally displaced.”
Yemen hospitals on the brink of closure as health system collapses leaving 8 million children without access to healthcare
http://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-hospitals-brink-closure-health-system-collapses-leaving-8-million-children
20 December 2016
"Europe’s current approach is defined either by either acquiescence towards belligerent Gulf actors, or relative non-action. At a moment when the United States is likely to pull back from any meaningful engagement in resolving the conflict, European states ― with the exception of the United Kingdom, which is now seen by many as a direct conflict actor because of its support for the Saudi coalition ― need to step up their role in resolving the conflict and prevent the country from becoming a failed state that could take decades to function again."
Yemen’s Forgotten War: How Europe Can Lay the Foundations for Peace
http://www.ecfr.eu/publications/summary/yemens_forgotten_war_how_europe_can_lay_the_foundations_for_peace#_ftnref8
20 December 2016
"وفي بيان بهذا الصدد صادر عن قوات التحالف، وقدم على أنه تعليق "على مزاعم منظمة العفو الدولية أن الذخيرة العنقودية من نو