Thursday (March 26th): Yemen war nears 5 years with no end in sight

Abd Rabbo Mansur Hadi

Name? Abd Rabbo Mansur Hadi

Westphalian identity? Yemeni

Age? 74

Why is he in the news? 5 years ago, Yemen’s President Hadi had to flee his own country from the Houthi rebels to Saudi Arabia. Since then, an Arab coalition has been fighting Iran backed Houthi rebels, causing one of the worst humanitarian crises in modern days. 

Why do we care? With 100000 casualties and 24 million Yemenis dependent on humanitarian aid, this crisis is far more deadly and dangerous than other viral trends. 

Why should you care? The war in Yemen proves that the world does not need the US and Russia for proxy wars. Saudi Arabia and Iran are ready to step up and fill the power vacuum left by Trump. Not to mention the often underestimated role of the UAE and MBS’ mentor, MBZ, in this power game. 

Who else cares? Nobody, literally nobody! This conflict has been going on for 5 years now and most people do not even know of its existence. Yemen, unlike Syria, even has oil. But I guess refugees (that actually have a chance of reaching Europe) are more important nowadays. 

Any further comments? Although the Saudi Coalition has announced a cut in spending on this war, there is no prospect for a solution to this armed conflict any time soon. What if we supported aid packages for Yemenis starving to death like viral challenges.

Joshua Dario Hasenstab

General Coordinator