Malaysian Model

Forum: Security Council

Issue: The Situation in

Student Officer: Rohan Jasani

Position: Deputy President of the Security Council

Introduction

Yemen, one of the most impoverished nations in the Arab world, is now engaged in a violent civil war. The roots of the current conflict can be traced back to 2011 when Yemeni uprisings during the prompted longtime ruler to resign from power. Unfortunately, the new president, , failed to deal with many problems which plague Yemen. These include corruption, an al-Qaeda insurgency in the South, food shortages, and so on.

The , composed mostly of Shia Muslims, rallied against Hadi’s government and began to take over large swathes of Northern Yemen. Before long, they captured the capital, Sana’a, forcing Hadi and his government to flee to the port city of .

Seeing this as an illegal seizure of power by the Shia Houthis, and its Sunni partners formed a coalition to launch airstrikes on Houthi-held territory in order to restore Hadi to power. This coalition has received non-military support from western nations like the UK and USA. In the year and a half since the beginning of airstrikes, no side can claim a decisive advantage despite almost 7,000 casualties from airstrikes alone.

The conflict has also led to a dire humanitarian situation in Yemen. With an estimated 18.8 million people in need of assistance, it is the worst humanitarian situation in the world. UNICEF reports that international NGO efforts thus far have been insufficient in alleviating the full scale of the problem, citing outbreaks of cholera and a lack of funding. Yemen continues to suffer from widespread malnourishment, a lack of clean water, and the unavailability of medicine.

Definition of Key Terms

Houthi

The Houthi is a group predominantly made up of Shia Muslims based in Yemen’s north. They take their name from Hussein Badr al-Din al-Houthi, who began a rebellion in 2004 to acquire

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greater autonomy from Yemen’s central government. In 2014 and early 2015, they made a sweep across Yemen and are now in control of the country’s government and much of the heavily-populated Northwestern region.

Hadi Government

The Hadi government refers to the democratically elected government of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi elected in 2012. While internationally recognized as the sole government of Yemen, it has faced domestic opposition by the Houthis and as well as many ordinary civilians. It currently is based in the port city of Aden, and controls much of the country’s South.

Saudi-led Coalition

The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen is the largest foreign force intervening on the part of Hadi’s government. It has received fighter planes from , , , , , , Saudi Arabia, , and the UAE, and has logistical support from the US and Britain. However, it has received widespread criticism from human rights groups for not doing enough to avoid civilian casualties.

Sunni and Shia

Sunni and are the two largest sects of Islam. The distinction and history of the two will be discussed in greater detail in the ‘Background Information’ section. al-Qaeda and ISIS

al-Qaeda and ISIS are two radical Islamic terror organizations. Collectively, they have killed thousands inside and out of the Middle East. Both have attempted to capitalize on the state of chaos and lawlessness in Yemen to acquire territory from which to launch terror attacks.

Background Information

The Arab Spring

The Arab Spring was a series of popular uprisings in the Arab world in early 2011. The protests began in but quickly spread to Egypt, , , Morocco, , , and more countries. In many, like Egypt, Libya, and Syria, peaceful protesters were met with force by the government. This led to long-term conflicts and civil wars resulting in thousands of casualties

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The Arab Spring in Yemen

In Yemen, pro-democracy activists protested against the rule of Ali Abdullah Saleh in early 2011. Within a year, elections were held and Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi was voted into office. This infuriated the Houthis and many other Yemenis, leading to civil war between supporters of former President Saleh and Hadi.

The Sunni-Shia Divide

The historic divide between Sunni and Shia sects of Islam is critical to understanding the nature of Yemen’s conflict. Currently, the nations of and are majority Shia, while most Arab states, like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Jordan, and Qatar, are majority Sunni. Some countries, such as Lebanon and Yemen, find themselves split between the two sects. In Yemen, the Shia Houthis are battling the Sunni government, which has led some to claim that the war has turned into a proxy between the Saudi-led Sunni world and the Iran-led Shia world.

Humanitarian Crisis

Yemen has a population of around 27 million people, most of who now live in dire need of humanitarian assistance. 3.3 million children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding women are acutely malnourished. Yemen used to rely on imports for 90% of food, but due to international sanctions and embargoes, the food supply has decreased dramatically. The UN has only been able to meet 58% of its funding requirements. This is one of the most serious issues in the conflict, and mass casualties will follow if the international community does not act to help the starving and the displaced of Yemen

Timeline of Events

Date Event

January 27, 2011 As part of the ongoing Arab Spring and after other protests in Tunisia and Egypt, Yemeni people take to the streets and protest against the government of Saleh. Saleh agrees to step down, and in elections the next year, Saleh’s deputy Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi was elected in a landslide. Saleh peacefully handed over power, although there were sporadic outbursts of violence between supporters of each personu

2012 - July 2014 As Hadi’s new government begins to consolidate its power, it turns a blind eye to the Houthis, who slowly accumulate power in their Northwestern strongholds. Meanwhile, the Hadi government proves incapable of handling Yemen’s core political issues such as corruption

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and food insecurity, leading many to feel cheated by the revolution. The Houthis take up this cause, and find support outside their traditional Shia base.

September 21, 2014 Houthi fighters take full control of Sana’a, Yemen’s capital, in a quick offensive. Many people, feeling that the revolutionary government of Hadi had not lived up to expectations, supported them.

January 22, 2015 President Hadi resigns due to Houthi pressure, and is forced into house arrest. He maintains his personal bodyguards, but is surrounded by Houthi fighters

February 6, 2015 The Houthis dissolve the Yemeni parliament, completing their takeover of Yemen’s government. The Houthis would take power and not hold democratic elections. This was swiftly condemned as a coup by the outside world. On February 21, Hadi escaped house arrest and fled to the Southern city of Aden, where he renounced his resignation.

March 25, 2015 At the request of Hadi, Saudi Arabia and a coalition of other Arab states began airstrikes on Houthi positions in Yemen. The intervention has helped Hadi regain some ground in the conflict. However, the coalition’s use of force is often described as excessive by humanitarian groups and has been heavily criticized for doing too little to protect the lives of civilians.

UN Involvement, Relevant Resolutions, Treaties and Events

The Houthi seizure of power has been met with widespread international condemnation. However, despite multiple UN resolutions regarding the political and humanitarian situation in Yemen, little direct UN intervention has taken place. Most foreign assistance being received has come from NGOs. However, a brief, but not comprehensive, list of resolutions that have been passed can be found below.

● Security Council Resolution 2204 (February 24, 2014). ● Security Council Resolution 2216 (April 14, 2015). ● Human Rights Council Resolution 30/18 (October 2, 2015).

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Bibliography

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