Yemen: What Is Happening To Largest Humanitarian Crisis In The World

Yemen, one of the Arab’s poorest countries, has been reported to be largest humanitarian crisis in the world. Yemen has been under siege for seven years, resulting to fighting rebel called Houthis, and Saudi-led coalition backing the country’s official government. The crisis in southern Arabian Peninsula has escalated over the year, having seen thousands of civilians’ deaths involved in air strikes and missiles. Yemen is experiencing food security crisis requiring more than 20 million in need of food assistance. This crisis was triggered by revolution against President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who had led Yemen for more than three decades.

The crisis in 2011, which forced the then president Ali Abdullah Saleh to hand over power to his deputy, Mansour Hadi, faced with serious economic quagmire and already existing security issues ravaging the country, attacks by jihadists. Since then, Houthis has grown more powerful, captured Saada province and the nation’s capital, Sanaa, their widespread dominance had forced President Hadi to flew to abroad in March 2015. Saudi Arabia has been heavily involved when there were informed about the prospect of Houthis taking control of Yemen, and have been receiving intelligent support from the West, in the fight against Houthis.

Tigray crisis: the modern day havoc

Saudi coalition succeeded in retaking the southern Yemen from Houthis, they failed to dislodge them from the nation’s capital as their stronghold grow more in Sanaa. Houthis formed an ally with the former president Mr. Saleh which led to the former president death when he urged his followers to fight Houthis, his attempt was unsuccessful as Houthis defeated his forces. His followers joined Saudi led coalition and at that point they launched major offensive against Houthis to recapture the Red Sea city of Hudaydah, its port is the major lifeline for millions of Yemenis at risk of famine.

In 2021, Houthis targeted Marib, the centre of an oil-rich province, the fight has grown more intense putting millions of citizens at risk, and UN has called for ceasefire. Iran has been accused by Saudi and US officials for smuggling weapons to the Houthis, which Iran has denied. Yemen’s official government is based in the southern port city of Aden, while President Hadi himself is based in Saudi Arabia, another separatist group, Southern Transitional Council [STC], which wants an independent South Yemen, had been fighting Aden government.

 The reduced supplies of wheat from Ukraine, caused by the current war there, which is pushing hunger levels in Yemen very high, 80% of the population is needing humanitarian aid. More than ten thousand children have been killed or wounded as a direct result of fighting. The war has caused lack of healthcare and unsafe water, the crisis keeps driving towards dangerous direction and humanitarian crisis is really alarming.