environment

Analysis December 15, 2025 29:27 MIN Yemen’s History of Political Alliances and Lessons for the Future By Maysaa Shuja Al-Deen, and Tawfeek Al-Ganad Alliances are a common phenomenon in Yemen, deeply rooted in the country’s political life and social structures. Yemeni tribes, for example, often form alliances for protection and defense that are based more on mutual interests than on blood ties. This pattern extends into the political sphere, where Yemen has witnessed various types of political alliances during its modern history. This study examines past alliances among political actors in Yemen, from the declaration of political pluralism as a constitutional right following unification in May 1990 to 2017. Most of these alliances were temporary and tactical, often formed to confront common adversaries, and ended in dramatic ruptures. Despite their shortcomings, however, these alliances enriched Yemeni political life in several ways. For example,… Continue reading Main Publications December 11, 2025 03:03 MIN Energy Transition in Yemen: A Path to Justice and Sustainable Development By Abeer Al-Eryani, and Musaed Aklan Yemen’s energy sector is currently facing a severe crisis. For millions of Yemenis, accessing reliable electricity is a daily struggle, characterized by prolonged blackouts, limited fuel supplies, and deteriorating infrastructure, which in turn exacerbate the country's humanitarian conditions. This policy brief underscores the importance of a just and conflict-sensitive energy transition in Yemen, addressing the interconnected challenges of conflict, economic instability, and energy poverty. It emphasizes the urgent need for an energy transition that enhances energy access, promotes decarbonization, and supports peacebuilding and socioeconomic recovery. The brief outlines the current energy landscape in Yemen, identifies critical policy gaps, and highlights both top-down and grassroots opportunities for sustainable energy development. It acknowledges the significant challenges in the energy sector, including its… Continue reading Yemen Review section October 28, 2025 15:19 MIN July-September 2025 Socotra: Climate Change and Memory in Photos By Saad al-Ajmi al-Socotri, Nasser Abdulrahman, and Mahmood Fatehi “Respecting God's tenets, living in harmony, simplicity, and peace, and doing as our parents and grandparents did.” Socotra, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site, has one of the most unique and isolated ecosystems in the world. Located off the coast of Yemen near the Horn of Africa, the Socotra archipelago sits at the crossroads of the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. The archipelago is home to incredible biodiversity: 37 percent of its 825 plant species are endemic. It is also home to rare trees, including the iconic dragon’s blood tree, and a diverse array of animals, including both terrestrial and marine birds, several of which are threatened species. In 1992, during the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,… Continue reading Analysis October 28, 2025 05:10 MIN July-September 2025 Calls for Recognizing Somaliland and the Implications for Yemen By Ahmed Al-Ahssab There have been growing signals of possible international recognition of the Republic of Somaliland. Former British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson alluded to the possibility of US President Donald Trump recognizing Somaliland’s independence in November 2024. His remarks coincided with favorable positions expressed by US officials who had worked with Trump, such as Peter Pham and Tibor Nagy, as well as moves by American lawmakers. The president of Somaliland has also predicted that his country will soon secure its first formal recognition of independence, possibly within the coming year. A former British colony, Somaliland united with what was known as Italian Somaliland to form the Somali Republic in 1960. Following the collapse of the central government in 1991, Somaliland declared its… Continue reading Yemen Review section October 28, 2025 08:16 MIN July-September 2025 Soil That Hinders Growth: Youth Engagement in Political Parties in Taiz By Essa Al-Qadasy Young people make up the largest demographic group in the Arab world, and were the driving force behind the 2011 mobilization demanding systemic reform and the rebuilding of state institutions. This was particularly true in Yemen. Yet, despite their significant influence that year, decision-making remained in the hands of the elites. Young people were rapidly and systematically excluded, even from advisory roles, leaving them increasingly disillusioned about the country’s future. Ninety-eight percent reported that they were not consulted on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) initiative — a defining accord at the time — fueling deep frustration and resentment among the very generation that sparked change, the effects of which still reverberate today. Against this backdrop, examining youths’ political participation in… Continue reading Main Publications September 15, 2025 01:35 MIN Fostering Opportunities for E-Commerce Growth in Yemen By Aylin Junga Yemen's e-commerce sector holds significant potential to drive economic growth and financial inclusion, particularly for women and rural communities, but faces major challenges, including poor internet connectivity, limited digital payment systems, and the absence of legal and regulatory frameworks. The country remains heavily cash-based, with minimal access to formal banking and fragmented oversight, exposing consumers and providers to fraud and limiting sector development. Internet infrastructure is among the worst globally, with only 17.7 percent of the population online in 2024, though the recent introduction of Starlink offers hope for improved connectivity. Conflict-related damage to transportation networks further hinders delivery services. Despite these obstacles, some businesses have found success, especially in urban areas, by adapting to logistical constraints. Yemen’s youthful, increasingly… Continue reading Main Publications August 4, 2025 08:01 MIN Yemen International Forum 2025 Report The third Yemen International Forum (YIF III) took place in Amman from February 16 - 18, 2025, gathering more than 300 participants to discuss peace prospects and stability in Yemen. Since the outbreak of the war on Gaza in October 2023, Yemen has been tested in myriad ways. Attacks on the Red Sea and the rising prominence of the Houthis within the “Axis of Resistance” have thrust Yemen into regional conflict, undermining hope for an end to its decade-long war. Since the last YIF held in the Hague in June 2023, where discussions centered on cautious optimism for a potential peace settlement, Yemen has undertaken a dramatic U-turn. Peace efforts have taken a backseat while international attention has increasingly turned… Continue reading Analysis July 22, 2025 10:14 MIN April-June 2025 The Bride of the Red Sea: A Century of Transformation in Hudaydah By Tawfeek Al-Ganad Hudaydah has long served as a battlefield for those seeking control over Yemen. Since the 15th century, various empires, including the Portuguese, the Mamluks, the Ottomans, and the British, have made both successful and unsuccessful attempts to dominate the region. A century after the Mutawakkalite Kingdom of Yemen, commonly referred to as the Imamate, first extended its authority over the region, Hudaydah continues to hold immense strategic importance. Since the outbreak of regional conflict after October 7, 2023, Hudaydah has been targeted by airstrikes from the United States, Britain, and Israel, which have destroyed key pillars of its economic power, particularly the ports of Hudaydah, Ras Issa, and Al-Salif. Nevertheless, Hudaydah remains the military and economic center of Yemen’s West… Continue reading Editorial July 22, 2025 03:25 MIN April-June 2025 Yemenis Deserve Leaders Who Will Put Their Interests First Yemen’s ongoing economic collapse is a tragedy starring a myriad of actors, none of them innocent. The situation has become even more dire in recent weeks amid delays in anticipated financial support from Saudi Arabia for the government of recently-appointed Prime Minister Salem bin Breik, and as the Houthis create an even more repressive environment for humanitarian organizations, civil society groups, and financial institutions. As successive political and economic disasters feed into each other, it’s as if the government and the Houthis are competing over who can better fail the Yemeni people. Since the Saudi-sponsored, UN-backed truce officially ended in October 2022, hopes for a gradual return to economic normalcy, or at least steps toward recovery, have been repeatedly dashed.… Continue reading Analysis May 16, 2025 06:10 MIN A New Prime Minister is Not the Answer By Abdulghani Al-Iryani, and Wadhah Al-Awlaqi Ever since the internationally recognized government fled from Sana’a after the Houthi takeover in 2014, it has failed to develop a strategy to adapt to its new environment and the challenges it poses. Instead, it has continued to act as if nothing has happened, and only a few tweaks are required to keep going. This can be seen clearly in the decision to maintain large cabinets, along with hundreds of deputy ministers added to accommodate the relatives of powerful government figures. Whenever conditions deteriorated, the miracle cure would be a cabinet reshuffle drawing from the same pool of corrupt officials. Each new prime minister presented a government program that they knew, and everyone else knew, could not be implemented. So… Continue reading Analysis April 28, 2025 05:16 MIN Yemen’s Parliament: A Legislative Authority in a Retirement Home By Tawfeek Al-Ganad Yemen’s parliament has come to resemble a retirement home. Elections for the legislature were last held 22 years ago on April 27, 2003. Since then, 60 Members of Parliament (MPs), or 20 percent, have died in office. The youngest sitting MP is now 47 years old, while many others have either lost their vitality and public presence to the passage of time or have passed away. More importantly, the body itself is inactive and unable to perform its constitutional duties. The mandate of Yemen’s parliament should have officially expired in April 2009. Article 65 of the Yemeni Constitution stipulates that “the term of the House of Representatives is six solar years starting from its first session. The President shall call… Continue reading Analysis April 21, 2025 06:20 MIN January-March 2025 New Technologies in Houthi Drones By Khaled Mukhtar On February 13, 2025, the National Resistance forces, led by Presidential Leadership Council member Tareq Saleh and based on Yemen’s Red Sea coast, announced the seizure of a smuggled shipment of military equipment intercepted en route to the Houthi group (Ansar Allah). The shipment included devices and equipment that suggest the Houthis are working to enhance their drone capabilities by integrating new and previously unused technologies—or at least technologies not widely deployed. Specifically, these include jet engine technology and first-person view (FPV) systems, both of which have the potential to significantly amplify the scale of threat anticipated in any future local or regional escalation. Among the items seized, the National Resistance forces showcased several jet engines, which, judging by their… Continue reading