The seven years of conflict taking place in Yemen led to the worst humanitarian crisis. Around three hundred thousands people have died, including sixty percent of them from indirect causation to the conflict. A great majority of the population is relying on international aid and assistance. However, due to the war being at its full swing, the already non sufficient help has been compromised, by the bombing of the capital’s airport by Saudi Arabia. In this alarming and distressing context, if both parties are escalting to each other attacks no land and people would remain to govern over. Even if those bombing are being justified by Saudi Arabia as targeting military purposes, it cannot serve as a greater good argument. Too many humans lives have been sacrificed already, it is now time for peace settlement.
An imbroglio of interests
Indeed, this conflict, which started as a purely internal matter became an international conflict too quickly. In 2014, Houthis only required the lowering of fuel price and the resignation of that time government. This kind of protest and demands occurred also in France with the yellow jackets, and did not ended in civil/ international war. The problem is the involvment of the proxys of both parties: Saudi arabia and its Gulf coalition defending the yemenite government and Iran supporting the houthis. The original rivality between Saudi Arabia, which wants to protect its dominant position in the region, and Iran, is only hurting a population already fractured with a not that old reunification of both Yemen in 1990. In addition, other international interests are coming into play, such as the U.S which is willing to defend its allies (Saudi Arabia) position in the conflict, due to Saudia Arabia help in the U.S counter terrorism policies since the bombing of the USS cole in 2000. Moreover, the economic interest is also driving other western countries such as France, UK and Germany to join the coalition, in order to protect oil reserves in this area. Therefore, this conflict turned into an amalgam of interests, not paying attention to the cornerstone of the conflict, the cultural difference, and has been fuelled by the proxys with weapons, logistics and intelligence.
The indirect damages of the conflict: a humanitarian crisis and Yemen’s economic loss
Nonetheless, actual people are being hurt by the conflict: more than one million diplaced people are located in Marib, this is close to the combat area, and many are dying due to the sanitary conditions and lack of food supply. Mostly child under five years old are the most impacted. Western countries are willing to spend money in war but not in humanitarian help, therefore the UN world’s food programme needed to reduce its food supply due to insufficent funds. Priorities need to be reviewed: human lives shall be put above economic interests. Nevertheless, if economy has to be involved in order to get western leaders’ interests, this conflict is not only damaging human lives but also the country’s economy. Indeed, due to the war, wealth cannot be created, investors are not attracted to invest there and no viable enterprise can make profit. A UN report warned us, that if the conflict does not end quickly, Yemen cannot economically recover, and even if peace settlement would occur soon, it would take a few decades for Yemen to become a autonomous and viable country.
The urge for peace
Besides, world’s leaders should instead spend their time in order to find a sustainable and implementable peace settlement. Indeed, in order for Yemen to go through this humanitarian crisis, it needs stability and not wait for the restart of the conflict. The recovery process will take time but by improving security, living conditions and inclusivity, the yemenite society would be on the right track to become a prosperious society. For this purpose to be achieved, it needs an international involvement and helps to invest in humane development, infrastructure, agriculture, but also assist yemenit people to get a government, which represent them and in which they put their trust. Yemenite people needs their basic rights, including women, whose situation worsen during the conflict. Moreover, by creating all those opportunities, it will help them creating wealth and thus improve their living conditions.
However, those are long-terms objectives, which are needed to rebuild a sustainable society, but a direct and urgent help is needed meanwhile to get those people out of the famine and insalubrity.
As for recovering from the war atrocities comitted by both sides, UN independent investigators launched an investigation on war crimes but it was shut down due the refusal of the resolution granting them two extra years of investigations. Nevertheless, if no UN body is able to investigate the situation, and since no countries directly invovled in the conflict are state parties to the ICC no international justice can be brought. Therefore, it would be beneficial for the future Yemenite governemnt to instaure a restorative justice involving directly every yemenite and giving them a feeling of justice, since the sanction would be imposed by the community and do not need to harm back the war criminals. The cycle of violence could then end and the healthy reconstruction of Yemen could take place.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Council on Foreign Relations ‘Yemen’s Tragedy: War, Stalemate, and suffering’ <https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/yemen-crisis> accessed on the 23rd of December 2021
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Franceinfo ‘Yémen: l’ONU „contrainte” de réduire l’aide alimentaire faute de fonds nécessaires’ <https://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/proche-orient/yemen/yemen-l-onu-contrainte-de-reduire-l-aide-alimentaire-faute-de-fonds-necessaires_4890113.html> accessed on the 22nd of December 2022
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Reuters ‘Factbox: who is fighting in Yemen’s war?’ <https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/who-is-fighting-yemens-war-2021-12-07/> accessed on the 22nd of December 2021
UNDP ‘Assessing the impact of war in Yemen: pathways for Recovery <https://www.ye.undp.org/content/yemen/en/home/library/assessing-the-impact-of-war-in-yemen–pathways-for-recovery.html> accessed on the 22nd of December 2021
UN ‘No time to waste, as Yemen inches towards famine: Un Children’s Fund’ <https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/11/1078312< accessed on the 22nd of December 2021
By The European Institute for International Law and International Relations.
