Sana'a

Analysis July 15, 2024 06:41 MIN Quarterly: April-June 2024 A New Axis: Strategic Coordination between the Houthis and Iraqi Factions By Adnan al-Jabarni On May 23, Abdelmalek al-Houthi, leader of the Houthi group (Ansar Allah), announced that Houthi forces had begun coordinating military operations with Iran-backed Iraqi militant groups. The partnership was publicly unveiled as part of the “fourth phase of escalation” in the Houthi response to Israel’s war against Palestinians in Gaza. Under the fourth phase, the Houthis would expand the targeting of commercial shipping to the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean, as well as continue to carry out attacks in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and Gulf of Aden. In subsequent weekly speeches, the Houthi leader repeatedly referenced progress in coordination and cooperation with the Iraqi groups. This foreshadowing culminated in a June 6 announcement by Houthi military spokesman Yahya… Continue reading Analysis July 15, 2024 06:13 MIN Quarterly: April-June 2024 Abdelmajeed al-Zindani: The Demise of Political Islam’s Leading Figure in Yemen By Tawfeek Al-Ganad With a long flaming red beard, distinctive square face, unconventional white turban, and a voice that was immediately recognizable – Abdelmajeed al-Zindani was perhaps the most famous political-religious figure in Yemen of the past 50 years, a controversial persona who stirred endless debate, even after his death on April 22 in Istanbul at the age of 82. Al-Zindani was born in the Al-Sha’ar district of Ibb governorate in 1942 and learned to read and write in its traditional kuttab school. He moved to Aden to continue his education and subsequently to Cairo, where he started the enigmatic journey of his political life between Yemen, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and, finally, Turkey. In the 1950s, Al-Zindani was affiliated with the pan-Arab… Continue reading Analysis July 15, 2024 11:13 MIN Quarterly: April-June 2024 The Uphill Struggle for Yemeni Women in Academia By Rim Mugahed April 27 marked the 13th anniversary of the death of Dr. Raufah Hassan, one of Yemen’s most prominent academics, feminists, and activists. In 1993, she founded the first Women’s Studies Unit at Sana’a University, which later became the Empirical Research and Women’s Studies Center. A pioneering undertaking of its time, the research center gained notoriety among Yemenis because of the backlash received from religious conservatives. Due to the center’s work, Hassan became the primary target in religiously motivated incitement campaigns, prompting her to leave Yemen for several years. Decades later, bitter questions remain: Has anything changed concerning the lived realities of female academics in Yemen? And what of the future of women’s studies centers in the country? Although Yemen has… Continue reading Yemen Review section July 15, 2024 07:11 MIN Quarterly: April-June 2024 Houthis Face Mounting Criticism Over Harmful Pesticides By Sana’a Center Staff Following the widespread dissemination of leaked documents and a very public debate on the risks of agricultural pesticides, including accusations that Houthi leaders are involved in the trade of banned chemicals, Mahdi al-Mashat, the head of the group’s Supreme Political Council, addressed the thorny issue on May 19. Al-Mashat spoke during a meeting with leaders from the Ministries of Agriculture and Irrigation and the Environmental Protection Authority and other officials from the Houthi authorities in Sana’a. He dismissed public concerns over the use of banned pesticides and their potentially harmful effects on public health and the environment, characterizing the concerns as part of an international conspiracy. Al-Mashat noted that the pesticide methyl bromide had been used around the world before… Continue reading Yemen Review section July 15, 2024 12:41 MIN Quarterly: April-June 2024 Military and Security — The Yemen Review, Quarterly: April-June 2024 By William Clough In assessing the situation in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in early April, one might have said Operations Prosperity Guardian and Aspides, the US- and EU-led coalitions tasked with defending the seas from Houthi attacks on commercial vessels, were achieving their declared goals. Attacks on ships were down, and Pentagon officials even speculated that the Houthis could be running out of munitions. But appraising events at the end of June, the facts on the ground now paint a very different picture. Houthi maritime attacks are at an all-time high, and the group is boasting a surprisingly advanced arsenal that has made their attacks more accurate and lethal. At the same time, US officials overseeing the numerous warships protecting… Continue reading Main Publications July 9, 2024 24:22 MIN From Vulnerability to Empowerment: The Future of Social Protection in Yemen By Ziad Saad, and Ziad al-Hassan Yemen's social protection system is failing to support its population adequately. Years of conflict have left millions vulnerable, struggling with poverty, hunger, and displacement. This is due to two main issues: a fragmented structure lacking a central governing body and chronic funding instability. These problems lead to a cascade of negative consequences. Firstly, the fragmented system creates inefficiencies, unequal resource distribution, and unclear accountability. Decades of conflict and economic hardship have created a complex web of vulnerabilities among the population, yet the current social safety net is inadequate. Outdated targeting mechanisms and insufficient needs assessments exclude deserving beneficiaries, while weak monitoring and evaluation methods fail to capture program impact and hinder improvement efforts. Existing programs primarily address immediate needs, neglecting… Continue reading Editorial July 2, 2024 03:09 MIN Quarterly: April-June 2024 The Houthi Crackdown on Yemeni Voices and Civil Society: Silence is Not an Option The arrests of dozens of Yemeni aid and NGO workers in recent weeks on allegations of spying for the United States and Israel is no run-of-the-mill crackdown on civil society, but an unprecedented assault that breaks the social norms of political engagement in Yemeni culture. Never have the repressive practices of previous regimes stooped to rounding up dozens of employees of local and international aid organizations that had been working with official approval for years, including the UN, World Bank, and foreign embassies. Whole families, including children, are being held. A series of dramatic TV ‘confessions’ have been aired, humiliating Yemenis who have been in incommunicado detention without formal indictments. After years of serving the country diligently for the sake… Continue reading Analysis June 5, 2024 34:33 MIN Houthi Media: A Study in Ideological Warfare By Burhan Ahmed In April 2023, a Saudi delegation was invited to visit the Houthi-held capital of Sana’a. Over the next couple of days, the media arm of the Houthi group (Ansar Allah) distributed a series of photographs to international and local media outlets featuring Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, smiling warmly in a stately reception hall and shaking the hand of Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed bin Saeed al-Jaber. These photos were extensively reprinted, appearing on NBC, Reuters, BBC, and Al-Arabiya, as well as in local outlets from the Baltics to Beijing. This sleek image of Houthi diplomacy is far from the militant and adversarial rhetoric circulated by founder Hussein al-Houthi and the outrage voiced by insurgent… Continue reading Analysis May 31, 2024 19:13 MIN Batarfi’s Death and Al-Qaeda in Yemen’s New Emir: What Comes Next? By Assim al-Sabri Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) made a surprise announcement on March 10, 2024, publicizing the death of its leader, Khaled Batarfi, and the appointment of Saad al-Awlaqi as his successor. Al-Qaeda’s official statement, delivered by jihadist leader Khabib al-Sudani, did not disclose any details about the manner of Batarfi’s death. This might be the first time that news of the death of a senior Al-Qaeda leader was shrouded in such mystery. In the past, the United States was the first to announce the assassination of jihadist leaders – as happened with former AQAP leaders Nasser al-Wuhayshi and Qassim al-Raymi, as well as with global Al-Qaeda leaders Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri. Al-Qaeda would then deny the news, or… Continue reading Publications May 15, 2024 41:12 MIN The Role of the Judiciary in Achieving Transitional Justice and Reconciliation in Yemen By Mohammed Al-Shuwaiter An almost decade-long conflict has severely impacted Yemen's judiciary, weakening its already fragile infrastructure and further undermining its competence and credibility. Additionally, the judiciary has faced political polarization, diminishing trust in its neutrality and casting doubt on its ability to handle politically sensitive cases associated with transitional justice post-conflict. Notwithstanding the challenges, efforts must be exerted for the judiciary to assume a foundational role in post-conflict Yemen and serve as a channel for restoring the rule of law and reinstating public trust in state institutions. Following a comprehensive review of the transitional justice landscape in Yemen, including an examination of the outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference, Yemen’s 2015 draft constitution, the draft transitional justice laws from 2012 and 2014,… Continue reading Publications May 7, 2024 30:23 MIN Land for the Powerful: Property Violations in Aden By Ghaidaa Alrashidy Disputes over land and property can represent a serious obstacle to peace. Years of armed conflict break down legal protections and lead to extralegal actions like seizures, evictions, and land redistribution. Lack of protections can lead people to not feel secure in their homes or neighborhoods – and others feel empowered by absent oversight. As order leaves cities in Yemen, Housing, Land, and Property (HLP) violations have inevitably multiplied. The city of Aden has a thorny history of political transformations that have directly affected private and public property rights. The city’s strategic location between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden – named after it – and urban infrastructure has once contributed to heightening property values. Throughout contemporary history,… Continue reading Editorial April 9, 2024 03:58 MIN Quarterly: January-March 2024 Protect Yemen’s Path to Peace Just six months ago, backchannel Saudi-Houthi peace talks were nearing their conclusion. The basic outlines of a deal were known to government parties and the external players involved in the Yemeni crisis. Many objected to its terms, but Saudi Arabia’s stranglehold over the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) made it feel like a fait accompli. Members of the PLC doubted that the Houthis would ever invite them back into a unified government, except in the most superficial manner. The Southern Transitional Council (STC) feared that the right to self-determination in areas of the former southern state would slip down the agenda. The US, which had been pushing for Saudi Arabia to end the war since 2021, became nervous that Riyadh was… Continue reading