Latest developments in Yemen

Subject : International Relations

Section: msc

Concept :

Hundreds of prisoners captured during the war in Yemen were reunited with their families amid diplomatic efforts to halt the conflict.
The main warring sides in Yemen are the Iran-backed Houthis and the pro-Yemen government, Saudi-led coalition.
The two opposing sides had agreed to release 887 detainees.
The large-scale prisoner swap has given the people hope for a permanent ceasefire in Yemen.

Stockholm Agreement

The warring parties had signed the Stockholm Agreement in December 2018.
As per the agreement they had committed to freeing conflict-related detainees
The agreement brokered by the United Nations had three main components:
Hudayah agreement
The Hudayah agreement included a ceasefire in the city of Hodeidah and other clauses like no military reinforcements in the city and strengthened UN presence.
Prisoner exchange agreement
Taïz agreement
The Taïz agreement includes the formation of a joint committee with participation from civil society and the UN.

How did the war in Yemen begin?

The conflict in Yemen began in 2011 as part of the Arab Spring protests.
The Houthis, backed by Iran, took advantage and captured the Saada province in the north, and then Sana’a, the capital of Yemen, in 2014.
The thought of Iran-backed Houthis in control of Yemen bothered Saudi Arabia due to its differences with Iran.
Saudi Arabia then led a coalition that included other Arab countries and sent troops to Yemen in 2015.
However, they were unable to oust Houthis from Sana’a as well as from the north of the country.

How has this affected Yemen?

According to the UN, Yemen is now the largest humanitarian crisis in the world with 80% of its population dependent on aid and protection.
Over three million people have been displaced from their homes since 2015, and public service sectors like healthcare, water, sanitation, and education have either collapsed or are in a dire situation.
It has lost $90 billion in economic output and more than 6,00,000 people have lost their jobs.
More than half of the country’s population is living in extreme poverty.