Publications

The Yemen Review June 4, 2018 38:08 MIN Yemen at the UN – May 2018 Review In May, Houthi forces were clearly on the defensive across most of Yemen, in particular losing ground in Hudaydah governorate as various anti-Houthi groups, backed by Emirati airpower, advanced on Hudaydah city. A Saudi-led coalition plan for a military offensive on the city last year was derailed due to a lack of US support and international outcry over the likelihood of massive humanitarian fallout. Last month, however, a Western official confirmed to the Sana’a Center that Washington and London had given the green light for the current offensive to take Hudaydah city, but with the caveat that the ports were not to be attacked (see ‘Coalition-Backed Forces Advancing on Hudaydah Port’ and ‘Anti-Houthi Forces Make Gains in Taiz’). On May… Continue reading Main Publications May 29, 2018 02:53 MIN An Institutional Framework for Post-Conflict Reconstruction The ongoing conflict in Yemen has imposed grievous costs on Yemenis, damaging lives, property and infrastructure and collapsing the country’s already fragile economy. And yet the conflict will eventually subside. Although some reconstruction projects have begun, they have generally been undertaken haphazardly and not as part of a comprehensive and structured plan. Post-conflict reconstruction following the war must address the basic needs and rights of the Yemeni population and put the country on the path toward sustainable peace and development. This report examines the literature regarding post-conflict reconstruction and draws lessons from the reconstruction experiences of Afghanistan, Iraq, and Lebanon, in addition to multiple past post-crisis reconstruction efforts in Yemen itself. Past Yemeni efforts in the wake of disasters and… Continue reading Main Publications May 29, 2018 14:12 MIN An Institutional Framework for Post-Conflict Reconstruction in Yemen By: Khaled Hamid Previous reconstruction efforts in Yemen following conflict or natural disaster have suffered from lack of coordination with and unrealistic expectations from international donors, as well as the Yemeni government’s limited capacity for aid absorption and project implementation; as a result, there was little tangible long-term impact. In light of lessons learned from similar post-conflict contexts and Yemen’s own history of reconstruction efforts, this policy brief proposes an institutional structure for a future reconstruction process in Yemen: a permanent, independent, public reconstruction authority that empowers and coordinates the work of local reconstruction offices, established at the local level in areas affected by conflict or natural disasters. This proposal does not arise only from these lessons learned, but also… Continue reading News May 16, 2018 01:10 MIN The Sana’a Center is Seeking Interns Yemen The Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies announces immediate openings for research interns based inside Yemen. The Sana’a Center will produce policy papers regarding post-conflict state building that would provide a reliable source of information to guide the strategic policy-making related to Yemen. The interns will have the opportunity to be part of this project and work closely with the Center’s lead researchers, editing team and administration. Interns will: Work closely with a lead researcher on a specific issue related to rebuilding the state in Yemen post conflict. Be exposed to the process of producing policy papers. Build expertise on the issue to be worked on. Duties will include, but not limited to, the following: Provide assistance to lead researcher… Continue reading The Yemen Review May 9, 2018 37:31 MIN Yemen at the UN – April 2018 Review In April, Saleh Ali al-Samad, a senior Houthi official and the head of the Supreme Political Council in Sana’a, was killed by an air-to-ground missile strike in Hudaydah city. Al-Samad was one of the most prominent political figures within the Houthi leadership structure and is the group’s most senior member to have been killed thus far in the conflict. His death will likely have far reaching implications for both the Houthis and the UN’s renewed mediation efforts to end the Yemen conflict (see ‘The Killing of Saleh Ali al-Samad’). Just prior to al-Samad’s killing, Martin Griffiths, the new United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen, had briefed the UN Security Council on his multiple visits around the region since taking the… Continue reading News April 18, 2018 03:25 MIN International Neglect Fuels Risk of Mental Health Crisis in Yemen Experts raise alarm about lack of attention to mental health and call on international community to fund services, programs, and training for urgent psychosocial interventions. Sana’a and New York, April 18, 2018 – Yemenis face serious mental health risks due to war-related trauma exposure, but the issue is being neglected by both domestic authorities and the international community, warn experts from the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies, and Columbia University’s Human Rights Clinic and Mailman School of Public Health. “The armed conflict has sent millions into abject poverty, destroyed the nation’s economy, evaporated basic public and health care services, and led to thousands of civilian deaths. Yemenis suffer every day from trauma exposure and extreme stress,” said Farea Al-Muslimi, a… Continue reading News April 13, 2018 00:48 MIN The Third Yemen Exchange: An Intensive Course on Yemen The Yemen Exchange is an intensive course offered by the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies (Sana’a Center) in partnership with Mideastwire.com. Held in Beirut, Lebanon, the course is designed to provide unique access to information and analysis on Yemen for both those seeking to develop a working background on the country and those already well versed in Yemeni dynamics. During the six-day program, participants from around the world will listen to and engage with Yemeni politicians, bureaucrats, civil society actors, tribal figures, business leaders, academics and various Yemen experts to gain insights and in-depth knowledge on the country from a wide range of perspectives. This comprehensive course covers Yemeni socio-political dynamics, internal divisions within various parties to the war, the… Continue reading Main Publications April 10, 2018 10:30 MIN Increasing the Effectiveness of the Humanitarian Response in Yemen The second Development Champions Forum of the “Rethinking Yemen’s Economy” initiative recently brought together more than 20 of the leading socio-economic experts on Yemen to discuss the most critical challenges facing the country. Among the key topics included were the need to increase the coverage and efficiency of the campaign international humanitarian organizations and United Nations agencies are undertaking to address Yemen’s humanitarian crisis. Among the major issues the Development Champions identified during discussions were: The need for international humanitarian actors to increase their coordination with local authorities, civil society actors, and the Yemeni private sector; The importance of decentralizing the humanitarian response and the many benefits of prioritising cash transfers to beneficiaries over the direct provision of food stuffs;… Continue reading The Yemen Review April 7, 2018 31:41 MIN Yemen at the UN – March 2018 Review In March, the Saudi-led military coalition intervention in Yemen, dubbed ‘Operation Decisive Storm’, entered its fourth year. To mark the occasion, Houthi forces fired seven ballistic missiles into Saudi Arabia shortly before midnight on March 25, which the Saudi military claimed its defense systems intercepted. Riyadh responded by accusing Iran of having supplied the Houthis with the missiles and warned that Saudi Arabia had a right to “strike back” (see ‘Military Developments’). The United Nations Security Council adopted a wide-ranging new Presidential Statement regarding Yemen calling for, among other things, the full and sustained opening of all of Yemen's ports to humanitarian and commercial imports, stressing the need for increased humanitarian access to Sana'a International Airport, and reaffirming that the… Continue reading Main Publications March 16, 2018 16:42 MIN International Aid Organizations and the Yemeni Private Sector: The Need to Improve Coordination in Humanitarian Crisis Response By Ali Azaki The current humanitarian crisis in Yemen has been precipitated by almost three years of civil war and regional military intervention, with the United Nations declaring the country the world’s largest humanitarian emergency in January 2017. At the end of last year the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) released its 2018 Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) in which it reported that roughly 22.2 million Yemenis were in need of some kind of humanitarian protection or assistance, of which 11.3 million were in acute need. This included 17.8 million Yemenis who were food insecure, of which 8.4 million were severely food insecure and at risk of starvation. Some 16 million people were without access to safe… Continue reading The Yemen Review March 8, 2018 22:38 MIN Yemen at the UN – February 2018 Review In February, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) formally adopted a highly politicized UN Panel of Experts report on Yemen. The report – one aspect of which asserts Iran is in non-compliance with the UN arms embargo on Yemen – was seized upon by the United States and its allies at the UNSC as an opportunity to push for council action against Iran (see ‘UN Panel of Experts Report’). Russia led the opposition to this push at the Security Council, eventually exercising its veto power to quash a United Kingdom draft resolution that Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said would have “dangerous, destabilising ramifications, not only for Yemen but the region as a whole” (see ‘Russia’s Veto’). Last month also saw… Continue reading The Yemen Review February 12, 2018 29:50 MIN Yemen at the UN – January 2018 Review In January, widespread violence erupted in Yemen’s southern port city of Aden between ostensible allies in the coalition of forces fighting on behalf of the country’s internationally recognized government. On January 21, the Southern Transition Council (STC), a secessionist group backed by the United Arab Emirates, issued an ultimatum to Yemeni President Abdo Rabbu Mansour Hadi to dismiss his prime minister and other cabinet members for alleged corruption. On January 28 the ultimatum expired and clashes broke out between the Presidential Protection Forces and STC-allied armed groups, with STC forces quickly routing Hadi-allied units from positions across the city and from nearby military bases. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates intervened to enact a ceasefire, with STC forces then… Continue reading