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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 Yemen Review section July 15, 2024 06:19 MIN Quarterly: April-June 2024 Socotra’s Forgotten Travelers By Saad al-Ajmi al-Socotri Yemen’s civil war has cast a shadow over Socotra, the Indian Ocean archipelago governorate, and the daily lives of its residents. Before the war began in 2014, there were three flights to and from the islands. The first was operated by Yemenia Airways, the second by small local operator Felix Airways, and the third by the Yemeni Ministry of Defense, dedicated to transporting soldiers, their families, and people with limited income. After the start of the conflict, the ministry and Felix Airways halted their flights, while Yemenia Airways remained operational, but with interruptions that sometimes lasted for months. Ticket prices have risen steadily, with a one-way ticket from Socotra to Mukalla in Hadramawt now more than three times its pre-war… 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 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 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 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 Analysis April 9, 2024 05:05 MIN Quarterly: January-March 2024 Iran’s View of Houthi Attacks in the Red Sea: Protecting Gains and Limiting Costs By Thomas Juneau The war in Gaza has presented the Houthi group (Ansar Allah) with an opportunity to consolidate power inside Yemen and expand its regional influence. To achieve these aims, the Houthis have launched dozens of attacks against shipping in the Red Sea. Domestically, this has allowed them to mobilize strong pro-Palestinian feeling among the Yemeni population. Regionally, it has helped the Houthis further establish themselves as an emerging power, as they have demonstrated that they have both the capability and the intent to obstruct shipping in one of the global economy’s crucial maritime chokepoints. To understand Iran’s interests and perceptions regarding the crisis in the Red Sea, it is useful to examine its approach to Yemen prior to Hamas’s attack on… Continue reading Yemen Review section April 9, 2024 07:28 MIN Quarterly: January-March 2024 Contract Teachers in Hadramawt: When the Solution Becomes A Problem By Warda Belswad The vast size of Hadramawt governorate, nearly a third of Yemen’s total area, presents a daunting task for the Yemeni government in providing public services and meeting the demands of scattered communities. With the onset of war, the practice of employing contract teachers — educators hired on a contractual basis rather than full time — has become widespread. The practice is aimed at mitigating the shortage of regular teaching staff in public schools and at sustaining the governorate’s struggling educational system. This approach, however, was poorly conceived and has been marred by clear irregularities that need urgent remedy. Community-based initiatives led by prominent Hadrami businessmen, such as Salem bin Mahfouz and Abdullah Bugshan, have been instrumental in establishing schools in… Continue reading Yemen Review section April 9, 2024 26:36 MIN Quarterly: January-March 2024 The Economy — The Yemen Review, Quarterly: January-March 2024 By Wadhah Al-Awlaqi The re-designation of the Houthis as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group (SDGT) by the Biden administration, which took effect on February 16, has sparked a complex debate. The move follows a series of Houthi missile attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait. The designation allows the US Treasury to impose sanctions on individuals and entities affiliated with the Houthis, potentially hindering their ability to fund activities deemed “terrorism” by the US. American citizens and companies are now prohibited from doing business with the Houthis unless they receive special permission. Even companies partially owned by the Houthis or related blacklisted groups are off-limits. Outside the US, the designation sends a strong message to other countries… Continue reading