The Yemen Crisis Decoded
Yemen is now going through a phase of floods, war and total mayhem of human crisis. All this, in light of many prominent faction activities emerging daily in the news channels. In view of this, this article is penned to slide through the course of history that Yemen entails.
Beginning of all: Human crisis
Yemen human crisis can be classified into three periods of time. First, the Arab Spring (2010). Second, king versus general (2011). And the third, Enter Al-Qaeda and Houthi (2012).
Don't fret! Let's analyse each and every part of this individually.
Arab Spring was a period of time when residents in Arabian Gulf kingdoms started rebelling against their king in favour of a democratic elective government. This was overly unsupported by the ruling monarchies. Many of the then monarchies like Gaddafi(Lybia) and Zine El Abidine Ben Ali(Tunisia) had fallen to democratic governments. Although some countries like Syria and Yemen had to wait it out.
Syria had already been acting as a proxy war between the US(vs)Russia and KSA(vs)Iran, and in Sanaa(capital of Yemen) there arose another civil war in which the President(Ali Abdullah Saleh) and the Army chief(Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar) had a difference in opinion on appointment of a new Army Chief(son of the Yemen President). Abdul Malik bin-Houthi(leader of Houthi tribals) and Iran supported the faction of Ahmar's military group, while Saleh's military group was supported by Saudi Arabia(KSA), UAE and USA. This divide in Yemeni Military weakened its sovereign control over its own territory, which led to the strengthening of tribal support to mainly two groups: The overgrowing Houthi rebels(coined by the Yemen president) and the emerging Al-Qaeda.
In November 2011, Saleh agreed to step down as president after surviving 40 per cent body burn in an attack by Houthi. This was when he had dishonoured an agreement of resignation earlier. The new President Mansour Hadi tried his best to bring tranquillity in the region. The Houthi, in a similar fashion to Saleh, dishonoured the 6 regional- wise governmental control(of Yemen) rule brought with the help of KSA, Emirates(UAE) and the USA. The Houthi, already equipped with Iranian weapons, pressurized Mansour to flee to KSA.
Al-Qaeda had, by this period, already conquered Southern Yemen Region.
The escalation in terror has from 2014 remained somewhat the same except that the forthcoming years saw more floods than the previous century. This was followed by a huge water crisis.
Yemen and Water
The desert-country is a water-deprived area bordered by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in the West and southern regions and is landlocked between KSA and Oman to the north and east respectively. There are literally no flowing rivers in the whole peninsula altogether. What makes this desert-country a weaker water resource authority is that major portions of the gulf is controlled by Houthi and Al-Qaeda. The scarcity of rain due to climate change has also downtrodden the country into severe draughts where people had died in thousands over the past few decades.
The government and military weakness has also forced the withdrawal of local support in favour of democracy. The region never saw drastic climate or water crisis in the rule of the monarch(before 1990). The first elected President, Saleh, had come with great aspirations for the country. But his works are still in play, stifling the people who had raised him into power.
War and Citizen
United Nations ranks Yemen( 29.16 million citizens, as of 2019), an HDI(Human Development Index) value of 0.452; ranking it 178 in the 2019 index. Whereas, Syrian Arab Republic’s (18.51 million citizens, as of 2019) HDI value for 2019 is 0.536; positioning it at 155 out of 189 countries and territories in 2019 index.
Education of secondary level is also not met with pertaining quota.
Yemen Nationals face irrational prejudice in seeking refuge in Europe due to ethnic and social muddle. Also, proper visual-media coverage of Yemen is still not being undertaken. Not undermining the Syrian crisis, the Yemen citizens feel betrayed and aid(not join) ultraist ideologies. The Republic of Yemen has reached a state where, even dreaming of peace and stability is not far from reach, but is already exhaustive to even care about when faced with sustenance issues.
International strategy on Yemen
The Yemen cause of struggle to conserve a democratic elective-government is feared by the neighbouring dynasties that eye on its downfall. They fear a uprisal from within their cities and want to have either dominance in religion(KSA[vs]Iran) or political security(USA[vs]Russia).
Towards 2019, all political war, as such has stooped down, although there are tougher mindsets to wake up a heavily battered Houthi and local support. Al-Qaeda and Houthi have still not supported each others' stand.
The USA feels belittled and overburdened by the responsibilities thrust upon itself by the evergrowing need to reign supremacy in democracy. Trump administration henceforth officially took a back stand from Yemen politics but doesn't withdraw its troops which secretly assists KSA to fight the Houthi.
India and Yemen
India has had good relations with Yemen dating back to 1967 when India recognised Yemen's Independence from the UK. Latest relations include Operation Raahat, for Indian NRI in Yemen(2015) and medical relief by Indian doctors for Yemen war victims.
Credits
@Study IQ education |(YouTube channel name)
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Disclosure
Events and situation described are based on the information available in news outlets and personal perspective formed before August 2019.
Any discrepancies caused by author’s part is regretted.
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