Earlier this month, International Crisis Group began publishing a series of briefings entitled “Instruments of Pain: Conflict and Famine,” which calls attention to and examines the unfolding famines in Yemen, South Sudan, Nigeria and Somalia. The first of these briefings focuses on Yemen and the roots of Yemen’s food crisis in the ongoing conflict. Crisis Group calls for a halt to the plans for an assault on the Port of Hudaydah by the Saudi-led coalition and emphasizes that all parties to the conflict must enable the central bank to address the growing financial problems in the country, which must ultimately be solved by a ceasefire and a lasting political solution to the conflict.
Yemen policy round-up 4/26
The following is a summary of recent developments relevant to US policy in Yemen. The YPP produces these periodic round-ups for distribution to US government contacts.
Yemen's civil war is now in its third year and shows no sign of resolution, absent pressure from the international community and the United States in particular.
White House approval of Secretary Mattis' request for an escalation of US military support for the Hudaydah port offensive is likely to precipitate full-blown famine in the country and eliminate any remaining incentives for the warring parties to come to the peace table. Below is a quick rundown of recent happenings on the Hill and in the Trump Administration related to Yemen.
April 17-24: "Famine-like" conditions evident, aid organizations call for more funds to prevent catastrophe
Monday, April 17, 2017
According to the Emirates News Agency, the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) will provide 53 Yemenis affected by the war with medical treatment at hospitals in India.
Gulf News reports that Yemeni government forces have gained control of a military base north of al-Mokha. Houthi-Saleh forces had used the base to launch missile attacks against coalition forces along the coast.
An article from AP focuses on the work of Fadia Najib Thabet, a student in Vermont who recently received the Secretary of State's International Women of Courage Award for her work as a child protection officer in southern Yemen.
Share your perspective on the war in Yemen
We want to hear what you think about the conflict in Yemen and America’s role in Yemeni affairs. Record an audio message using your mobile phone or computer, and email it to us at mafraj@yemenpeaceproject.org. We’ll include your message in an upcoming episode of the Mafraj Radio podcast and post it on the Mafraj Blog. We welcome comments on any aspect of the conflict, but here are a few prompts to get you started:
- Should the United States continue to support the Saudi-led coalition’s intervention in Yemen?
- Do you think the planned coalition campaign to capture/liberate al-Hudaydah is a good idea?
- If you were in charge of the peace process, what would you do to bring the warring parties back to the negotiating table?
We look forward to hearing from you!
April 11-16: WFP ramps up food aid to Yemen, Congress skeptical of supporting Saudi campaign
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
The UN said today that the risk of mass starvation is quickly growing in Yemen, as well as in South Sudan, Somalia and Nigeria.
Norwegian Refugee Council’s press release today calls Yemen an “extreme situation for women,” emphasizing the importance of focusing on women’s issues and rights as women have been increasingly politically marginalized since the start of the war.
Sana'a Center: Military force alone will not defeat AQAP in Yemen
Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies recently published an article by Farea al-Muslimi and Adam Baron on the limitations of the US military campaign in Yemen against al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). The paper examines the rise of AQAP in Yemen and how the organization has been able to incorporate itself into local society in the governorates of Abyan, al-Baydha, and Shabwah. It highlights the imperative forthe United States to develop an understanding of the socio-cultural, tribal, economic, and political dynamics that AQAP has so successfully used to further its own agenda in Yemen.
April 4-10: Government forces position around Hudaydah, UN calls for protection of Port
Tuesday, April 4
Pro-Hadi forces in Yemen are gathering around the Port of Hudaydah and a senior military official reports that “only the timing remains to be decided” of an impending military operation in the area. It is possible that the Saudi-led coalition is waiting for approval from its Western allies before launching the offensive, according to Reuters. The International Rescue Committee, meanwhile, said that an attack on the port would have catastrophic effects on the Yemeni people.
Meanwhile, CNN reports that US special operations forces have increased ground operations in Yemen in addition to the recent campaign of airstrikes in the country. The ground operations, which have not been publicly acknowledged by the Pentagon, are specifically aimed at covert intelligence gathering on al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), according to CNN.
Mwatana report documents civilian casualties from Houthi-Saleh landmines
Mwatana Organization for Human Rights released a report this month entitled “Concealed Killer,” focusing on the use of landmines by Ansar Allah--also known as the Houthi movement--and pro-Saleh forces in six Yemeni governorates. To date, Mwatana has documented 33 incidents of exploded landmines planted by Ansar Allah which have killed 57 civilians, 24 of whom were children and 4 of whom were women. The report also documents 47 civilians injured by the landmines, including 21 children and 6 women.
38 NGOs to Trump: Don't support Hudaydah offensive in Yemen
The YPP, along with 37 other advocacy, civil society, peace, and faith groups, sent a letter to President Trump today expressing our grave concern over the proposed Hudaydah offensive in Yemen. The White House is expected to sign off this week on the Pentagon's request to increase US involvement in a Saudi- and Emirati-led offensive that would cause extreme humanitarian suffering and risks sparking famine in Yemen, while eroding prospects for a political settlement to the conflict.
We urge President Trump to withhold US support and act to prevent the coalition from moving forward with the offensive. Instead, the Trump administration should focus on using diplomatic pressure to bring the warring parties to the peace table and allow unfettered humanitarian access to Yemen's ailing civilian population.
International Crisis Group: US must work to prevent civilian deaths, trust in diplomacy to combat terrorism
The International Crisis Group recently released a set of policy recommendations aimed at the Trump administration and its approach to anti-terrorism efforts in the Middle East and South Asia. The report notes the success of the military campaigns that the new US administration has inherited and advocates for caution going forward in order to maintain this success, emphasizing the importance of maintaining positive relationships with local communities whose support is crucial to US efforts against such groups as ISIS and al-Qaeda. Thus far, the recent volley of US airstrikes earlier this month in Yemen and President Trump’s decision to approve the January raid which killed a significant number of civilians have been in direct conflict with these recommendations.
March 27-April 3: US considers expanded military role in Middle East, UN special envoy calls for political solution in Yemen
Monday, March 27, 2017
The US is in the process of weighing a greater military role in Yemen through direct support for the Saudi-led coalition, Reuters says. This appears to be a response to evidence of greater Iranian military support for the Houthi-Saleh alliance.
At least 11 people were killed in a suicide bombing in al-Houta, Lahj province, according to Reuters. The attack is suspected to have been carried out by al-Qaeda militants.
Reuters also reports that rates of child marriage have significantly increased since the beginning of the war in Yemen, according to UNICEF. Over two thirds of Yemeni girls are now married before the age of 18, as opposed to half of girls before the conflict. This large increase is primarily due to families’ inability to feed their children as famine looms closer in the country.
YPP Calls on White House to Stop Coalition’s Hudaydah Offensive
The Yemen Peace Project (YPP) has learned that the White House is expected to sign off on the Pentagon’s request for the United States to support the Saudi- and Emirati-led offensive to take control of the seaport and city of al-Hudaydah, which is currently controlled by the Houthi-Saleh alliance. It is our understanding that a major attack on al-Hudaydah is therefore imminent. In addition to providing support for the coalition in the forms of “surveillance, intelligence, refueling and operational planning,” the US administration is also reportedly considering direct US military engagement against the Houthis as part of this offensive. The YPP joins a broad coalition of NGOs, US lawmakers, and representatives of international organizations in calling on President Trump to withhold American support for any offensive against al-Hudaydah.
Senate briefing on the situation in Yemen
On Thursday, March 30, the YPP and the Arab Center for the Promotion of Human Rights hosted an event at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC, to discuss the war in Yemen and the role of the United States in the conflict. The event was attended by congressional staff, representatives from NGOs, and members of the public. The discussion was moderated by YPP executive director Will Picard, and featured two guest speakers:
March 21-26: Laptop ban on flights, protests on conflict anniversary
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
The New York Times reports that both the US and Britain have banned electronic devices larger than a cell phone on flights from 10 Muslim-majority countries.
The United Nations stated that the warring parties in Yemen are responsible for preserving civilian infrastructure and lives. This statement comes in response to the Saudi-led coalition’s calls for UN oversight of the port of Hudaydah after an airstrike on a boat of Somali refugees, reportedly by coalition forces.
March 14-19: Somalia calls for investigation, tensions grow within coalition
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
President Trump met with Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman today for talks that are likely to focus partially on limiting Iranian influence in the region, says the Guardian.
The UN envoy to Yemen stated that the Saud-led coalition backing President Hadi and the Houthi-Saleh alliance both refuse to discuss peace efforts in the face of the escalating violence in the country.
Federal judges block new Muslim Ban before implementation
Yesterday afternoon a federal judge in Hawaii issued a restraining order preventing the federal government from implementing some of the provisions of President Trump's second executive order on immigration, travel, and refugee resettlement. Among other things, the order would have prohibited the issuance of new visas for nationals of Yemen, Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, and Sudan for at least 90 days, and paused all refugee resettlement and the processing of refugee applications for 120 days. It also would have reduced the maximum number of refugees admitted to the US in 2017 to 50,000, less than half the maximum set by the Obama administration. The Hawaii ruling blocks those provisions. A federal court in Maryland ruled a few hours later, with similar effect.
Mafraj Radio #29: America at war
Welcome to the long-awaited fourth season of Mafraj Radio, the official podcast of the Yemen Peace Project. I’m Will Picard. On this episode we’ll discuss America’s role in Yemen’s civil war, and the Trump administration’s efforts to block citizens of Yemen and five other nations from entering the United States. And we’ll meet one of the many Yemeni immigrants who call America home.
First hand accounts of January SEAL raid in Yakla
Independent journalist Iona Craig covers the recent United States military raid in Yemen in a detailed report published by The Intercept. The story focuses on the tragic and horrifying impact of the January raid on the villagers who were caught in the crossfire. Craig conducted interviews with eyewitnesses, revealing the terror experienced by the families living in the village of al-Ghayil and the children who survived the attack, and the confusion and anger of the survivors over why their home was targeted and their family members killed.
March 6-13: States fight new travel ban, Trump seeks to change rules of engagement
Monday, March 6, 2017
US airstrikes killed a former Guantanamo Bay detainee, Yasir al-Silmi, on March 2. Al-Silmi was released from the detention center in 2009, where he had been held for seven years.
President Trump announced a new version of the travel and immigration ban on six Muslim-majority countries today. The changes to the ban include removing Iraq from the list of countries that will be impacted, and shifts in the timeline of implementation, but the order remains extremely discriminatory and is opposed by human rights groups such as Amnesty International (and the YPP).
Human Rights in Yemen in 2016: “Impunity was persistent and pervasive”
The US Department of State recently released their 2016 Human Rights Country Report on the state of human rights in Yemen. According to the report, “impunity was persistent and pervasive” in Yemen, that contributed to gross human rights abuses by multiple actors throughout the year. The greatest human rights issues in Yemen were: