Yemen is a country located in the Middle East. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, Oman to the east, and the Red Sea to the west. Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the world, with an economy largely reliant on agriculture and oil exports. The country has been devastated by civil war since 2015, which has caused a humanitarian crisis and left millions of people in need of aid. In addition, Yemen faces challenges from high levels of poverty, food insecurity, water scarcity, and frequent natural disasters such as floods and droughts. Despite these difficulties, Yemen is home to some of the world’s most stunning landscapes and ancient sites. Its capital Sana’a is a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its architecture and cultural heritage dating back thousands of years. See countries that begin with Y.
Yearbook 2004
Yemen. Hundreds of people, both government soldiers and militant Islamists, were killed during the summer in clashes between government troops and militant Islamist prayer leader Husayn Badr ad-Din al-Huthi in the province of Sada in the north of the country. The total population in Yemen is 29,825,975 people in 2020. The government side accused the former MP al-Huthi of damaging Yemen’s stability, while al-Huthi on his part accused President Ali Abdullah Saleh of joining the United States. On September 10, al-Huthi was reported to have been killed in the fighting.
On August 28, fourteen Yemenites were sentenced to imprisonment for up to ten years for various acts of terrorism, including the attack on the French supertanker Limburg in 2002 and the blast attack on embassies in the capital Sana. At the same time, one person was sentenced to death for shooting a police officer at a roadblock in 2002.
On September 19, two men were sentenced to death and four others to prison for up to ten years for involvement in the blast attack against the US ship USS Cole 2000.
Nearly 50 representatives of governments, parliaments and international organizations attended a conference in Sana on January 11-12 on the theme of democracy, human rights and the role of the International Criminal Court.
On December 12, 2013, the United States killed 17 civilians when a drone fired a wedding column in Al-Bayda ‘province. However, the number of drone attacks was declining. 41 attacks were carried out in 2012, 26 in 2013 and 14 in 2014.
In August 2014, Houthier in Sanaa launched a series of demonstrations in the capital against rising energy prices. The month before, the Houthis had captured the provincial capital of Amran, where they had defeated the 310th Armored Brigade and killed its chief, Hameed Al-Qushaibi. On July 29, the government removed the subsidies for fuel, causing prices to rise 100%. The protests quickly developed violent. On September 10, 7 protesters were shot by security forces and on September 18, 40 protesters and Sunni militants were shot and killed. The Houthis now attacked Sanaa militarily and took control of the capital on September 21 after meeting little resistance. On the same day, the Prime Minister resigned from the post. The Houthis kept a relatively low profile and announced that they would leave the capital, once a new prime minister had joined. In October 2014, President Hadi appointed diplomat Khaled Bahah as new prime minister. This one took office in November. See clothingexpress.org for Yemen overview.
The military strength of the Houthis immediately brought them into conflict with AQAP. On October 9, a bomb attack was carried out against a demonstration in Sanaa. 47 were killed and 75 injured – most Houthi supporters. Government officials designated AQAP as the most likely backers.
On November 7, the UN Security Council issued sanctions against former President Saleh and two Houthi commanders for obstructing the political process in the country. Saleh’s party, the General People’s Congress, accused President Hadi of standing behind, removing him from all posts in the party.
A new government took office on November 9 but without the participation of Saleh’s party and the Houthis. The Houthis are a Shia sect that make up 35-40% of the population. Saudi Arabia, which sought to control the development of the country, accused them of being ruled by Iran. Consequently, the conflicts in Yemen also gained a regional dimension.
AQAP stepped up its operations in the latter half of 2014. In August, 11 soldiers were killed in 3 attacks in the southern part of the country. On December 31, a suicide bomber detonated outside a cultural center marking Prophet Muhammad’s birthday. 23 were killed. And on January 7, a large car bomb ran outside the Sanaa Police Academy. 38 were killed and 90 injured. A few days later, AQAP assumed responsibility for the Paris attack against Charlie Hebdo. However, several other Islamist organizations did as well.
Pastor Hadi formally resigned from the presidential post in January 2015. Meanwhile, the Houthi militia allied with military units loyal to former President Saleh continued their advance to the south, and in March they captured the port city of Aden. Most of the country was now under their control and the AQAP was militarily heavily pressured.
Foreign Policy
When South Yemen in 1994 attempted to break out of the United Yemen, the new state formation was immediately recognized by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The authorities in the north accused Saudi Arabia of encouraging the outbreak, and even received support from Iran and Iraq.
Discussions to resolve a border dispute with Saudi Arabia were resumed in 1995, following mediation from Syria. The year before, there was an armed clash between the two countries over disputed islands in the Red Sea.
Relations with the United States improved after the Second Gulf War, and Yemen joined the international fight against terror in early 2001. In 2009, Saudi Arabia provided military support in the fight against Houti rebels in the north, while Iran was accused of supporting them.. After the regime change in 2012, Saudi Arabia, but also the UAE, has played an increasingly active role in Yemen. Saudi Arabia was the driving force for the multinational military intervention in 2015. The UAE was one of the coalition countries that sent the largest ground forces to Yemen.