Yemen Civil war

The Yemeni Civil War is an ongoing conflict that began in 2015 between two factions: the internationally recognized Yemeni government, and the Houthi armed movement. Both claim to constitute the official government of Yemen. Houthi forces controlling the capital Sana'a have clashed with forces loyal to the government. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have carried out attacks, with Al-Qaeda controlling swathes of territory in the hinterlands, and along stretches of the coast.

Concurrently, a coalition led by Saudi Arabia launched military operations by using airstrikes to restore the former Yemeni government; the United States provided intelligence and logistical support for the campaign. According to the UN and other sources, from March 2015 to December 2017, 8,670–13,600 people were killed in Yemen, including more than 5,200 civilians, as well as estimates of more than 50,000 dead as a result of an ongoing famine due to the war. The conflict has widely been seen as an extension of the Iran-Saudi Arabia proxy conflict and as a means to combat Iranian influence in the region. In 2018, the United Nations warned that 13 million Yemeni civilians face starvation in what it says could become "the worst famine in the world in 100 years."

​The international community has sharply condemned the Saudi Arabian-led bombing campaign, which has included the widespread bombing of civilian areas. Despite this, however, the crisis has not gained as much international media attention as compared to the Syrian civil war until recently.

yemen on a map

As you go through the activity, consider using Google Maps or Google Earth (requires Google Chrome) so that you have a geographic reference to the region. It will help you spatially understand the physical landscape and the regional powers in play that are directly or indirectly influencing the conflict. ​Specifically, locate Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the United States. These nations will be key players in understanding the Yemen civil war. 

Yemen conflict explained
Using the videos above, the story map on Yemen, and the article Yemen Civil War by Business Insider, and Yemen Crisis: Why is there a war? from BBC News, answer the following questions. 
  • What are the roots or history of the Yemen conflict?
  • What role does Iran and Saudi Arabia have regarding the Syrian conflict?
  • Why is the Middle East in it's own version of a "cold war?"

IMpacts on YEMEN citizens

Using the population pyramid, the CIA World Factbook, and the story map for Yemen, answer the following questions.
  • Provide a summary of the geography, people and society, military and security, and terrorism of the nation. 
  • Compare and contrast the demographic trends and dynamics between 1950-2019 in 10 year increments. What can the demographic data do to help you understand the civil war occurring in Syria?
  • ​Based on the story map, how many people are considered internally displaced people within Yemen?

american, britain, and saudi arabian involvement
Based on the videos above and the Yemen story map, answer the following questions.
  • What geographic and spatial information does the story map provide you regarding the destruction caused by the civil war?
  • Describe the role the United Kingdom and United States have regarding the Yemen conflict.
  • What role is Iran and Saudi Arabia having regarding the Yemen conflict? 
  • What role is Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud having on the Yemen Civil War, the deadly cholera outbreak, and potentially the greatest famine in over 100 years?
  • What spatial information can you gather from the story map on Yemen about the cholera outbreak? 

famine in yemen
  • Explain why Yemen is on the brink of the worst famine the world has seen in over 100 years. 
  • Describe who will be most impacted by the famine? 
  • How has the Yemen conflict caused the famine?
  • Why is the greatest humanitarian conflict in the world?