Fighting in Yemen threatens widespread humanitarian disaster
Gulf Cooperation Council officials meet to discuss humanitarian pause in Aden, as fighting continues to wreak havoc in Yemen
The fear is palpable, Yasmeen Mutahar a university student from Taiz describes the living conditions as dire, “when we hear a bomb we call family and friends to see where it hit, we need news and social media to know what’s going on.” Yemenis are facing a grave humanitarian situation, food shortages, housing problems, over run hospitals, an arduous challenge for aid organisations distributing pivotal supplies when ports and runways are blocked.
Civilians are killed indiscriminately according to reports. Humanitarian groups are calling for a truce especially in Aden where fighting has been heavy with a number of casualties. According to the World Food Programme it is estimated that there are around 12 million people suffering food insecurity. The international alliance with the Saudis has created a huge impasse in the region, whereby the Saudis are declaring victory but circumstances on the grounds present a more volatile situation.
The US Secretary John Kerry is arriving in Riyadh to call for a truce in the fighting – how this will be received by the Saudis is in question. The Saudis aren’t against a lull in the fighting, however with the insurgency gaining ground near the Saudi border, Saudi forces will most likely reinforce the point that the airstrikes are absolutely necessary especially close to the border, as the Houthis have been able to strike inside Saudi Arabia. The most likely outcome from discussions with the United States is that the airstrikes will continue in specific parts of Yemen, with some areas receiving a pause in order to distribute necessary aid.
The safe zones are areas where aid is distributed; a contentious subject with a myriad of challenges, these safe zones require strict patrols in order to allocate aid safely. The Houthis situated close by is a concern, however a strategy hasn’t been defined by the Saudis in order to ease access for aid organisations. The consultative summit in Riyadh consisting of Gulf Cooperation Council officials presents an opportunity to reinforce the point of an humanitarian pause , but the Saudi’s will insist that they are going to maintain airstrikes in Saudi border town of Najran to maintain regional security.
The Yemeni conflict has led to the increased breakdown of Sunni and Shia relations, the poverty stricken country has endured constant shelling from rebels and Saudi led coalition’s Operation Decisive Storm. The Houthi militias are reportedly supported by the Iranians who share the same Shia ideology, it is not clear in what capacity the Iranians are cooperating with their Shia counterparts, however there has been speculation that the Houthis are funded and armed via Tehran, something they deny. Furthermore, under the UN Resolution 2216 it is illegal to arm the Shia militias, which heightens the challenges for the insurgency, consequently legitimising the Saudi led political strategy in Yemen.
Yemen has been defined as a proxy conflict some regard that as a means to soften the Saudi aggression in the region, consequently sending a clear message to the Iranians to stop interfering in Arab affairs. The main issue concerning this conflict is that it is mainly viewed through a sectarian lens, which prohibits objectivity, the paradigm of unwavering Iranian discrimination is blocking a destabilisation. The Sunni coalition accused the Iranians of interference in the area with Shia proxies; many news outlets have described the volatile situation in the entire Middle East as a conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The much needed round table discussion on the crisis with all the participating actors including Iran.
As I write this piece 40 people are killed, whilst trying to leave the port city of Aden, rescuers say Houthis shells hit the boat the civilians were travelling in. Meanwhile in the last 24 hours Saudi led airstrikes have hit the north of the country, landed in Sana and Hajar near the border with Saudi Arabia. The fighting rages on, and the realities of past wars in the Middle East determines an unstable future in one of the most struggling corners of the world, as it stands according to UN figures half of the population does not know where their next meal will come from.