The Yemeni civil war is a freedom fight and humanitarian disaster. Millions suffer starvation and human rights violations due to blockades and ongoing violence from Israel, Saudi Arabia, the US and internal factions.
Yemen's civil conflict has become a proxy war between Saudi and Iran, who sit at the same OPEC table. Iran backs the Houthi rebels with weapons and money, while Saudi Arabia leads a coalition to eradicate them.
Political Turmoil & Grievances
Though the civil war begins in 2014, the conflict goes back much further. Yemen has a history of political instability, characterized by deeply felt grievances, economic disparities, and tribal divisions.
The 1990 unification of North and South Yemen hopes to form a more stable nation, but it leads to violent division. Discontent rises over governance, resource allocation and political representation.
The Houthi movement forms in 1992, initially against political and economic marginalization. It's founded by late cleric Hussein al-Houthi. Today it's run by his brother, Abdul Malik al-Houthi.
Southern Separatists
The Southern Movement, colloquially known as al-Hirak ('the movement'), is a political and paramilitary organization active in the south of Yemen. In 1994 they renege on unification agreements, citing greed in the north, and trigger the Yemeni Civil War.
After the outbreak of the war, the party splits into two factions. One becomes the "YSP (Yemen Socialist Party) Anti-Aggression", declaring loyalty to the Houthi movement and its leader Abd al-Malik al-Houthi.
Much of the party's leadership, including Abdulrahman al-Saqqaf and Yasin Said Numan, go into exile in Riyadh. They back the government of Hadi. The "Anti-Aggression" faction issues statements against the leadership in Riyadh.
They are said to be expelled from the party for of their support of the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen. The statements call for their punishment.
Originally a Marxist-Leninist communist party, the YSP moves away from communism and adopts pan-Arab nationalism and social democracy. The party also supports the implementation of rule of law in Yemen.
Arab Spring & Hadi Government
In 2011, the Arab Spring uprisings throw the Middle East into turmoil. The Arab Spring is a the revolutionary wave of non-violent and violent pro-democracy protests and demonstrations, riots, and civil wars.
The protests reach Yemen and force its longtime autocratic president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, to step down after decades of absolute power. The transition results in Saleh replaced by his deputy, Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi.
Hadi receives a country with a struggling economy, widespread corruption, a weak central government, and the growing separatist movement in the south. At the same time the Houthis become more aggressive.
The Houthis, a Zaydi Shia political and armed group, arise in the north of Yemen due to marginalization and exclusion from the political process. They resent the government's favoritism of Sunni Muslims.
Political crises further disrupt Yemen. The country is vulnerable to outside influence and internal conflict.
Houthi Uprising & Escalation of Conflict
The Houthis expand their influence. They're encouraged by popular discontent with Hadi's government and its failure to address corruption and improve living conditions.
In 2014, the Houthis, allied with disgruntled factions of the Yemeni military loyal to the ousted president Saleh, launch a major offensive. They seize the capital, Sana'a, which they still hold today.
They force Hadi to flee to Aden, a turning point in the conflict. Houthi support surges. When Hadi flees to Saudi Arabia in early 2015, he begs Saudi for help, and the conflict escalates further.
Intervention of Saudi Arabia & Allies
A military intervention by a Saudi-led coalition of Arab states tries to restore his government. The intervention, framed as an effort to counter Iranian influence, escalates the conflict. Civil war becomes a proxy war.
The coalition launches a massive air campaign targeting Houthi positions and infrastructure. It imposes a naval and air blockade on Yemen.
Coalition members are Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates, providing air and ground forces; and Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Constellis leading several ground operations.
Djibouti, Eritrea, and Somalia open their airspace, territorial waters, and military bases to coalition forces. While the UN tries to bring together conflicting factions, lasting agreements fail.
The Saudi blockade, ostensibly intended to prevent arms from reaching the Houthis, severely restricts the flow of essential goods. Scarcity of food, medicine and fuel contribute to the humanitarian crisis.
By 2021 24 million Yemenis, or 80% of the population, need humanitarian help. In March 24 the figure is at 21.6 million people or two thirds of the population. 2025 figures put it at 19.5 million people, or over half.
The UN believes this figure is rising, or perhaps the population is shrinking. In territories they hold, the Houthis establish schools and health care. They amass public support.
Still the Saudi blockade forces desperate humanitarian need. Ethical concerns arise over support to the Saudi-led coalition.
Several major arms manufacturers, including the US and the UK, sell billions of dollars' worth of weapons to the coalition. This worsens the human crisis.
Al Qaeda & ISIS
Emerging after weakening of leadership in Yemen, Al Qaeda supports the Sunni Muslims in Yemen against the Houthis and everyone else. Al Qaeda in the Arabia Peninsula (AQAP) is a Sunni Islamist militant organization.
It seeks to overthrow Yemeni government and establish the Islamic Emirate of Yemen. Part of the overall al-Qaeda network, the group is based and primarily active in Yemen, also with operations in Saudi Arabia.
In 2018 the US designates its leader, Khalid Batarfi, a global terrorist and puts a $5m bounty on his head. Following failure to expand in north Yemen, AQAP regroups in its strongholds in the south as of 2023.
In 2024 Batarfi's death is announced by Al-Qaeda. Details of death are withheld.
Al-Qaeda rival ISIS takes action in Yemen by 2014 with armed assaults against Houthis, striving for advantages amid the chaos of war. It attacks in March 2015 with the suicide bombings of two Shia Mosques in Sana'a.
The mosques are Houthi-affiliated. One bomber blows up outside the al-Badr mosque when caught by militia. The other makes it to target at the Al-Hooshish mosque and detonates amidst a crowd of fleeing worshippers.
137 people are killed altogether. Hundreds are injured. The incident is considered a terrorist attack and causes the most deaths and trauma of any such act in the history of Yemen.
In the following months the group continues attacks aimed largely at civilian targets associated with the Houthis. In July 2022, a suicide bomber on a motorcycle hits a Houthi convoy near Sana’a, killing and wounding several Houthis.
As of 2025 ISIS controls no direct territory in Yemen or the Middle East. Although without a territorial perveance, it's considered a low level insurgency in the Middle East.
Neither party is affiliated with the South Yemeni government, which has also been targeted by al-Qaeda.
Red Sea Crisis
The crisis begins in October 2023. The Houthi movement launches missiles and armed drones at Israel, demanding an end to the horrific attacks on the Gaza Strip against the Palestinian population.
Gaza is currently occupied by Hamas, who, like the Houthis, are labeled terrorists by the West. Gaza faces major humanitarian crises due to blockades of food and medicine by Israel and Egypt. Two million people inhabit the Gaza Strip, a space 40 km long and 6-10 km wide.
Houthis capture several vessels and launch aerial attacks against dozens more in the Red Sea, asserting every Israeli-affiliated ship is a target. In response come hundreds of air strikes on Yemen by US and allied forces.
By 2025 Israel and the US target refugee camps, hospitals and homes in Gaza, under the thinning guise of battling Hamas. Israel is on a mission of genocide to wipe out the Palestinians.
These attacks are all considered war crimes under the Geneva Convention. While the UN pleads, NATO doesn't seem to care, raising the question of who the terrorists really are.
Iran supports both Hamas and the Houthis. Though this brings ire from the US and Saudi coalition no one dares attack Iran directly, partly because Iran officially denies the support. Thus they target terrified and vulnerable populations in regions held by Iran-backed groups.
Humanitarian Catastrophe
The Yemeni civil war causes tens of thousands of deaths. These come from direct attack by Saudi, Israel, US and other forces, and indirectly from starvation, disease, and lack of healthcare access.
Millions are displaced and seek refuge in overcrowded camps and urban centers, where they living conditions are dire. Overburdened healthcare systems struggle to cope with the needs of the population.
Diseases like cholera, dengue fever and malaria are rampant, especially due to lack of clean water and sanitation. The United Nations repeatedly warns that Yemen is on the brink of famine.
Attacks increase in violence. Infrastructure is devastated with 60% of hospitals non-functional and malnourishment rampant. Attacks on Yemen and Gaza continue.
The current US government is highly aggressive. It shows off firepower to watching nations in a mix of self-aggrandizement and fearmongering. Its rise in terror tactics come from an economic side deal with Israel.
Travel advisories are strongly against all travel to Yemen at this time due to the risk of terrorism, civil unrest, health risks, kidnapping, armed conflict and landmines.
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