US

Yemen Review section August 15, 2023 11:05 MIN June and July 2023 Saudi-UAE Spat Comes to a Head in Hadramawt The developing rift between Saudi Arabia and its coalition partner, the UAE, has come out into the open in recent weeks. The Wall Street Journal reported that Saudi Crown Prince and de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman told journalists that the UAE had “stabbed them in the back,” and threatened to take direct action against its gulf rival. The deterioration of the relationship could have devastating consequences for Yemen. Competition between the groups backed by the Gulf powers has been a feature of the conflict since 2018: the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) has representatives on the governing Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) and controls swathes of southern territory, including the interim capital Aden. The current locus of this contest is… Continue reading Main Publications August 4, 2023 19:23 MIN Two Birds With One Stone: Using Aid Transfers to Support Stable Commodity Prices in Yemen By Alex Harper, and Wadhah Al-Awlaqi During the conflict in Yemen, the government-run Central Bank of Yemen in Aden (CBY-Aden), and other government-aligned economic stakeholders have argued for a policy that would rationalize humanitarian and broader aid transfers to support the provision of foreign exchange (FX) to critical commodity importers. This could benefit the economy at large and specifically support the stabilization of food prices, a major driver of food insecurity. Such proposals have aimed to solve challenges resulting from the competing economic and monetary policies adopted by the parties to the conflict. However, the CBY-Aden is currently unable to effectively regulate Yemen’s financial institutions to utilize aid funds for import financing and currency stabilization. Aid actors have also been reluctant to engage with past such… Continue reading Yemen Review section May 15, 2023 08:49 MIN April 2023 Saudi Arabia Eases Import Restrictions at Yemeni Ports The government-held port of Aden received the commercial ship Blue Nile on April 8, without it being subject to inspection by the Saudi-led coalition at Jeddah, a first since the expansion of the conflict in 2015. The arrival followed a statement released by Aden Governor Ahmed Hamed Lamlas on April 4, encouraging shipping companies to operate direct routes to the port of Aden and announcing several deregulation measures, including the suspension of container fees and action against illegal levies. On April 6, the government-affiliated Ministry of Transport followed up with a statement confirming the eased import restrictions, and said it had informed local and international shippers of the new regulations, which include covering insurance fees for war-related risks, increasing the… Continue reading Yemen Review section May 15, 2023 11:20 MIN April 2023 Saudi-Houthi Talks Stall April began with a flurry of activity in the ongoing bilateral talks between Riyadh and the armed Houthi movement, including a highly publicized visit by a Saudi-Omani delegation to Sana’a. But the month concluded without a signed agreement and uncertainty over the provisions of a deal. Saudi Arabia appears keen to conclude its disastrous military intervention in Yemen and is attempting to reposition itself as mediator rather than a primary party to the conflict. The Saudis hope to strike an agreement on a comprehensive ceasefire soon, but numerous contentious issues remain unresolved, including the very ones which derailed last year’s truce negotiations. The talks continue, but appear to be in a holding pattern. At the outset of the month, Riyadh… Continue reading Yemen Review section April 14, 2023 02:54 MIN March 2023 Mending the Saudi-Iranian Rift: A Prelude for a Chinese Role in Yemen? By Elham A. Omar The agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran to resume diplomatic ties on March 10 was surprising to many, but not entirely unexpected. Important signposts, including rounds of Saudi-Iranian talks in Iraq and Oman since 2021, and a Saudi desire to disengage from the war in Yemen, pointed to an engagement with Iran at some point. The wildcard, however, was the role of China as broker, as it demonstrated Beijing’s willingness to further its direct involvement in Gulf politics. Could this foreshadow an increased diplomatic role for China in Yemen? China has a long history of relations with Yemen, beginning in 1956, when the Mutawakelite Kingdom of Yemen became the first country in the Arabian Peninsula to recognize the People’s Republic… Continue reading Publications April 14, 2023 15:46 MIN March 2023 Qat in Wartime: Yemen’s Resilient National Habit By Laura Kasinof Early one summer morning, Mohammed stood among his grove of qat trees in a village south of the capital Sana’a in Sanhan district. Two local men, who work as Mohammed’s mubazigheen (pickers), were busy harvesting qat, plucking leaves, and placing them in plastic shopping bags. Every so often, Mohammed would step in to help, hiking up his crisp white thobe to reach the highest branches. The war has made Mohammed’s small qat farm, around 2,640 square meters (.65 acres), less profitable than it once had been. The 45-year-old said he makes around US$33 a day from qat in the summer, when the harvest is plentiful due to the rainy season. But this figure does not include his expenses, and Mohammed… Continue reading Yemen Review section April 14, 2023 09:16 MIN March 2023 Fighting Escalates on Multiple Fronts March witnessed increased clashes on fronts across the country, with Houthi forces making gains in southern Marib and along the Al-Bayda-Shabwa border. Heavy fighting between Houthi and mainly Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces in Al-Dhalea claimed dozens of casualties. Southern Hudaydah continued to see clashes between the Houthis and the Joint Forces, during which Houthi forces carried out regular explosives-laden drone attacks. In late March, Taiz Governor Nabil Shamsan, Minister of Defense Mohsen al-Daeri, and Chief of Staff Saghir bin Aziz survived two separate attacks on their convoys while traveling in Taiz governorate. The government accused the Houthis of carrying out the attacks. Fighting between Houthi forces and units from the UAE-backed Saba Axis of the Giants Brigades saw the… Continue reading Yemen Review section April 14, 2023 12:24 MIN March 2023 Saudi-Houthi Talks Move Forward After weeks of little movement, the bilateral Saudi-Houthi talks appear to be headed toward agreement on a comprehensive ceasefire, though resolution of longstanding issues remains elusive. At month’s end, Saudi Arabia organized a meeting in Riyadh, framed officially as Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) President Rashad Al-Alimi summoning the leading figures of his government. After the Saudis met individually with each PLC member to discuss the recent talks in Oman, they reportedly agreed in principle to an initiative presented by Saudi Ambassador Mohammed al-Jaber. The proposal to the Houthis described a three-stage process for PLC-Houthi talks, to take place over two years. During the first six months, confidence-building measures would be taken, including the payment of salaries to civil servants to… Continue reading Main Publications March 28, 2023 18:34 MIN An Ancient Tradition at Risk: Yemen’s Beekeeping and Honey Production in Times of War By Dr. Abdullah Nasher, and Farea Al-Muslimi Beekeeping in Yemen is as ancient as Yemeni civilization itself. Yemenis have mastered their beekeeping skills over centuries and can trace their rich heritage in apiculture (beekeeping) back to their pre-Islamic ancestors. In the Kingdom of Hadramawt, during the 10th century BC, trading honey was reported to have been the fourth largest economic sector. Greek historian and philosopher Strabo (64 BC – 24 AD) wrote about honey being a popular commodity in Yemen, observing how Yemenis climbed mountains in search of bee colonies, including Yemen’s Beni Saleem Mountains, which were known for their abundance of honey and have maintained this reputation since pre-Islamic times. To this famed liquid gold, Yemeni lyricists, poets, and singers have in more recent times offered… Continue reading Analysis March 10, 2023 14:53 MIN January-February 2023 Israel’s Maritime Security in the Red Sea: Historical Competition and the New Houthi Challenge By Ahmed El-Deeb Since the early days of the conflict in Yemen, the Houthi movement has been in control of much of the Red Sea coastline. The waterway serves as the main artery for trade between the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean, estimated at about US$700 billion a year. Some 4 million barrels of oil pass through Bab al-Mandab Strait every day en route to Europe, and about 25,000 ships, or 7 percent of world maritime trade. As a result, Houthi control over parts of the Red Sea has been a subject of international concern, including in Israel. Asian imports and exports account for about a quarter of Israel’s total foreign trade, transiting mainly via Red Sea routes, making the safety of… Continue reading Yemen Review section March 9, 2023 06:39 MIN January-February 2023 Nation’s Shield Forces Bolster Al-Alimi’s Influence Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) chief Rashad al-Alimi formally announced the formation of the Nation’s Shield forces in late January, a Saudi-funded military force of eight battalions led by Salafi commander Bashir al-Madrabi that was officially declared last September, but which is composed of Al-Yemen Al-Saeed brigades formed over the previous year. The units operate directly under Al-Alimi, who, unlike most other members of the PLC, had no military forces of his own. So far, units have been deployed to Al-Dhalea, Abyan, and Lahj. There are also efforts to bring three Giants Brigades battalions commanded by Hamdi Shukri al-Subaihi under the Nation’s Shield umbrella. Last year Al-Subaihi refused to get involved in the UAE-Southern Transitional Council (STC) battle to oust Islah-affiliated… Continue reading Yemen Review section March 9, 2023 08:11 MIN January-February 2023 Govt Receives New Financial Support By Wadhah Al-Awlaqi On February 21, Saudi Arabia agreed to supply the Central Bank of Yemen (CBY) in Aden with a US$1 billion deposit to prop up Yemen’s faltering economy and support the value of the rial in government-held areas. The aid will not be deposited directly with the CBY-Aden, but rather handled through the Arab Monetary Fund (AMF) as part of the AMF agreement announced in November. Access to the new money is expected to be granted soon given the progress the government has made to implement reforms demanded by Saudi Arabia, but the inflexible structure of the support could limit the central bank’s capacity to auction foreign currency to stabilize the rial and finance the import of basic commodities. The timing… Continue reading