Yemen's unending war

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  Yemen's unending war

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Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment

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1. America and Yemen's war: As one of the first key foreign policy decisions, U.S. President Joe Biden decided to end the U.S.’s support for Saudi Arabia’s six-year-long war on Yemen. He halted weapons sales to Saudi Arabia, and appointed a Special Envoy for Yemen. He also removed the Shia Houthi rebels from the list of foreign terrorist organisations. The Shia Houthi rebels control the north-western parts of Saudi Arabia. Both former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump looked away from Yemen, which was notably amidst a multipolar civil war and Saudi bombing. It descended into chaos and witnessed a humanitarian catastrophe.
2. What is the war: Saudi Arabia, the UAE and their allies went to Yemen in March 2015. They had clearly defined objectives to drive the Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran, out of the capital Sana’a. They wanted to stabilise the country under the government of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi that they support.
3. Actions taken: The Saudi-led coalition imposed a blockade on Yemen, and hoped this would eventually weaken the Houthis. They also started a bombing campaign aimed at wrecking the rebels militarily, and it was a failure! 
4. Evolving: The 6 years of war prove that the Saudi strategy of blockade and bombing was a failure. The Houthis continued to amass weapons, even technologically advanced drones. They continue to use these to attack Saudi targets across the border, despite the blockade. The Houthis entrenched themselves in the north-west despite the military and economic challenges. The only success for the Saudis, seen tactically, was that the Houthis were limited to the north-west. But the Saudi-backed government failed to consolidate its position even in the south.
5. South Yemen: A separatist group, the Southern Transitional Council (STC), has established its rule in southern Yemen. The UAE, which backs the STC, has pulled out of the Saudi-led coalition. All this is happening while the humanitarian situation in Yemen is worsening by the day. The war has killed over 10,000 people, and worsened the famine. The war is making it difficult for aid groups to operate in the country.
6. Priorities now: The crisis in Yemen is not only about the Saudi-Houthi conflict, but has many more dimensions such as humanitarian, civil, geopolitical and sectarian issues. Finding a solution to such a complex, multipolar conflict is challenging. The immediate focus of the international community should thus be on tackling the humanitarian situation in Yemen. The UN held a conference to raise up to $2.41 billion for aid works in Yemen. But it got pledges only for $1.35 billion, which means the aid operations would be impacted further.
7. Way forward: The Saudis should reconsider if it should continue with a failed strategy, and as the situation in Yemen keeps worsening, the Yemeni people continue to suffer. The continued Houthi rocket and drone attacks have left a hole in Saudi Arabia’s national security umbrella. The Houthis, if they want international legitimacy, should stop fighting and start talking with other stakeholders. The Biden administration should use its leverage to pressure Riyadh to lift the blockade, which is a key Houthi demand too. Once a ceasefire between the two main rival blocs is achieved, the U.S. and its regional allies could call for a multilateral conference.

Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment

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