Six years on, peace remains elusive for Yemen

On its sixth anniversary, Yemen’s devastating conflict is still continuing at full force.

When a Saudi-led coalition of Arab states launched a military intervention against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen on March 26, 2015, the Yemeni people had no idea that they were witnessing the beginning of the costliest conflict in their country’s long and tumultuous history. Indeed, although Yemen experienced several civil wars and military interventions in the past, none has had consequences as disastrous as the ongoing war. According to the United Nations, since 2015, the war has caused “over 233,000 deaths, including 131,000 from indirect causes such as lack of food, health services and infrastructure”. Moreover, more than 20 million people in Yemen are experiencing food insecurity, with 10 million at risk of famine. And on its sixth anniversary, this devastating conflict is continuing at full force. Recent military escalations between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis in strategically important areas such as Marib, Sanaa city, and Taiz have added to Yemenis’ fears that their country’s unprecedented humanitarian crisis will continue to deepen in the coming months and years.