Issue Brief on “Situation in Yemen: Caught Between Conflict and The Corona Virus”

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March 22, 2020 marked five years since the conflict in Yemen began. The country has been in turmoil since 2015, when Iran-backed Houthi militia captured a large part of Yemen. In order to counter Iranian influence, Saudi Arabia along with eight Arab countries launched a campaign intended to restore the original government.

In the course of this past year, the battle front in Yemen has hardly changed. There have been frequent encounters between warring groups as well as aerial offensives by the Saudi-led coalition. Houthi rebels still hold power over much of the northern part of the country, including the capital, Sanaa. On the other hand, President Hadi’s government and the South Transitional Council (STC) control the southern part of Yemen. The Stockholm Agreement, signed in 2018[1] was meant to achieve an immediate ceasefire, followed by the withdrawal of armed troops from the port city of Hodeida. Despite this, fighting continues in this area to this day.

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