Houthi attacks on commercial shipping have continued unabated since the beginning of the year, undeterred by a series of countermeasures from the United States and its allies, including retaliatory strikes, a terrorist designation and associated financial sanctions, and the formation of multiple anti-Houthi naval operations. Since January 1, the Houthis have targeted 34 commercial vessels, 13 of which they have…
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Sana’a Center Delegation Meets Policymakers in the US
A Sana’a Center delegation completed a policy tour to Washington DC and New York on March 14, where they met with US policymakers and UN member state representatives to discuss political and security developments in Yemen and the region. The visits coincide with the US assessing the repercussions of designating the Houthis (Ansar Allah) a Specially Designated Global Terrorist Group.…
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Development Report Launch Concludes in Amman, Jordan
On March 14, 2024, the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies announced the launch of its latest report, titled "Development is Coming: Be Careful What You Wish For." This report is part of a series of publications which aim to assess the aid sector in Yemen, "Applying Economic Lenses and Local Perspectives to Improve Humanitarian Aid Delivery in Yemen," a project…
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Development is Coming: Be Careful What You Wish For
Since 2021, Yemenis have become more strident in their calls for new and better ways of providing aid. Yemeni experts have warned that prolonged cycles of short-term humanitarian aid can entrench dependence and have called for a transition toward development approaches that could set the foundation for a sustainable post-conflict economy. Despite vastly different interpretations and positions over what development…
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Red Sea Attacks Provoke International Response
The Houthi group (Ansar Allah) has thrust Yemen into the international limelight and put regional politics in turmoil with an escalating series of high-profile attacks on Red Sea shipping. The Houthis have launched dozens of drones and missiles at ships since October and captured the commercial ship Galaxy Leader in a striking airborne commando raid (see Military section). Declaring solidarity…
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Houthis Visit Riyadh as Bilateral Talks Move Forward
A Houthi delegation arrived in Riyadh for discussions with Omani and Saudi officials on September 14, the first time Houthi representatives have publicly visited the Saudi capital since the war in Yemen began. The bilateral talks now appear to be moving rapidly toward the announcement of an agreement. The Houthi delegation met with Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman, and…
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UN, US Continue Shuttle Diplomacy
The UN-led peace process has remained stalled since a formal truce expired without extension last October, and has since been superseded by direct bilateral talks between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi group (Ansar Allah). Nevertheless, the UN and US special envoys have continued to actively consult with the respective belligerents. On August 9, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg…
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Eye on the East – The Yemen Review, June 2021
Through periods of tolerance and persecution, marginalization has remained a constant in the treatment of racial and religious minorities in Yemeni society. During the ongoing conflict, however, violence and subjugation against these marginalized groups has increased dramatically, to the point that it is fundamentally reshaping Yemeni society. For Yemen as we know it to continue to exist it needs to…
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Tribal leaders envision paths out of Yemen’s conflict
A group of prominent tribal leaders from Yemen convened in Istanbul on January 20th and January 21st to discuss the role of tribes in local and national de-escalation and peacemaking to bring an end to the war in Yemen. Sheikhs and tribal women from key governorates identified recommendations for UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffith and agreed on a…
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Yemen at the UN – July 2018 Review
At the end of July the Yemen conflict seemed poised to take on much broader regional and global dimensions, as Saudi Arabia halted oil shipments through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait off Yemen’s Red Sea coast. Iran declared the sea “no longer secure,” and Israel threatened military intervention if Houthi forces attempted to close the strait to shipping (see ‘Riyadh Halts…
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