At the end of this year, according to a United Nations report, the dead will reach 377 thousand, of which a huge number will be children under 5, killed by bombs, hunger and disease
Of the wars that arose from the Arab springs, the least talked about was perhaps that of Yemen. First, because the country is less strategic. Then, it is useless to deny it, because the displaced did not come knocking on Europe’s doors. But for years the United Nations has remembered that Yemen was the most serious humanitarian tragedy going on on Earth.
And it probably still is today, even if the eyes of the international community are all on Afghanistan. We look at that river of refugees fleeing the Taliban and a collapsing economy – 300 thousand have reached Iran -, and which could also affect Europe, already struggling with the new front between Poland and Belarus.
And so Yemen is neglected. But the toll of the war, already devastating, continues to worsen. At the end of this year, according to a United Nations report, the dead will reach 377 thousand, of which a huge number will be children under 5, killed by bombs, hunger and disease. “In 2021, due to the conflict, a Yemeni child under the age of five died every nine minutes,” reads the new UNDP document. In Yemen, the UN explains, twenty million people, that is two thirds of the inhabitants, need humanitarian aid to survive. It is also known that at least 60% of deaths are not linked to direct causes of the war, therefore missiles, explosive devices and firefights. The most ruthless killers are little food and disease.
But who are responsible for this disaster? The civil war in Yemen has dragged on since 2014 when the rebel movement of the Houthis, Shiite and armed from Iran, took over much of the north of the country, including the capital Sanaa. In March 2015, a coalition of Arab countries led by Saudi Arabia intervened in the conflict, with the aim of restoring the government ousted by the Houthis. Years of fierce fighting have not resolved the stalemate. The only result has been to devastate the Yemeni economy and drag at least 15 million people, that is more than half of the country, into conditions of extreme poverty. Two million children are severely malnourished.
Both sides have their own load of heavy blame. On the one hand, the military coalition led by Riyadh, whose bombs have claimed thousands of lives, demolishing infrastructure and contributing to the general collapse. The Saudis then tried to suffocate the enemy by blocking imports and supplies to their territories. Millions of people have become even poorer. But the Houthis also have their fair share of grave responsibility. They bomb civilians, torture detainees, recruit child soldiers, block access to aid agencies.
As in other theaters of war, the conflict has become a proxy clash between regional powers, fighting to strengthen their geopolitical weight. In the case of Yemen, the two main contenders are Saudi Arabia and Iran. There was a moment when inaction seemed to favor the Saudis and the Yemeni government based in Aden, supported by Riyadh and recognized by the international community. Today the fate seems different. Saudi Arabia is fighting to defend Marib, an oil-rich city that the Houthis have taken by siege. A few years ago, Marib seemed firmly in the hands of the Saudi-led coalition and the Aden government. The Houthis, hundreds of miles away, weren’t scary. The city had grown to more than a million inhabitants: civilians displaced from other parts of Yemen. Everywhere, construction sites of new houses destined to welcome them.
Today the Houthis are at the gates of Marib. To defend it, the Saudis withdrew the troops stationed in Hodeida, the main Yemeni port on the Red Sea. The situation is dramatic. The UN said 40,000 refugees fleeing from areas around the city affected by the conflict have been added. The Houthis have also suffered enormous losses: more than 14,000 fighters killed since June, including children. But they bear the damage and see little reason to negotiate a truce.
After all, the Houthis think they are winning the war. “The gravest humanitarian emergency is now in Marib. Tens of thousands of displaced people, many victims, including women and children. This is why we have launched new assistance projects in that area and asked the UN agencies to invest more: together we have set up shelters, schools and mobile clinics where we treat the wounded ”. Speaking is Abdullah al Rabeeah, head of the King Salman Relief Center, the development cooperation agency of the Saudi government. Despite being part of the conflict, Riyadh claims to contribute to the humanitarian effort for Yemen. The King Salman Relief Center, according to its director, has started 629 projects in the country with a total cost so far of about 4 billion dollars. “Thanks to this aid, and to the UN agencies we work with, hunger has not escalated into famine as it has in the past. We make no distinctions: if they let us pass, we also bring assistance to the territories controlled by the Houthis, ”added Abdullah al Rabeeah.
The truth, however, is that Yemen has turned into a very expensive strategic quagmire. The Saudis are desperate to end a war in which they have spent billions of dollars and which has cracked relations with important allies, particularly the United States. In addition, Saudi Arabia is routinely attacked by missiles launched over the border by the Houthis. Targets: airports and other vital infrastructure. To overcome the impasse, Riyadh also began negotiating with Iran, which supported the Houthis with weapons and money. But perhaps he doesn’t have enough control over them today to force them into a deal. And either way, he’s likely happy to see an archenemy bleed.
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