Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan of Saudi Arabia recently presented a peace plan to put a stop to their conflict with Houthi rebels in Yemen. This conflict first began when Houthi forces backed by Iran captured Sanaa, the capital of Yemen. Saudi Arabia who supported Yemen’s central government under President Hadi began to launch attacks against the rebels. A war that the Saudi government thought would be a matter of weeks turned into years of fighting. In 2017, Saudi forces set up blockades barring any travel by land or sea in hopes of preventing gun smuggling from Iran to help the Houthi. In turn this blockade has sprung widespread starvation across Yemen. Roughly 66% of the Yemen population are dependent on supplies that come in from the port of Al-Hudaydah (BBC). According to the UN nearly 10 million people are nearly in a state of famine.
Houthi Rebels
These years of war between Saudi Arabia and Houthi forces have also had global impacts. In 2019, Houthi rebels launched drone strikes on oil fields in Saudi Arabia which dismantled half of their oil production which makes up 5% of oil globally (BBC). Returning peace to Yemen is also important considering their geographic location. Houthi rebels are able to gain full control of Yemen they will be able to disrupt travel within the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Ships that head south along the Suez Canal must pass through the Bab al-Mandab Strait in order to reach the Indian Ocean. In 2018, 6.2 million barrels per day of crude oil passed through the Bab al-Mandab Strait (EIA). Houthi rebels would become a threat to the global economy if they were to gain control along the Bab al-Mandab Strait. With the endangerment of the Yemeni people and these global threats, the United Nations and the United States government intervened.
The Biden administration has offered the support of the United States to ensure that this peace plan can be agreed upon. Houthi forces have offered initial criticism of the peace plan particularly whether or not the blockades will be removed. The United Stats have engaged in negotiations alongside Saudi Arabia with Houthi negotiators over the terms of this plan. The United Nations have also strongly supported Suadi Arabia’s peace plan. The UN has agreed to help in the application of this peace plan if terms are finally agreed upon.
In the past several attempts at peace have been made but none have been successful. However now with the active support of the United States along with the United Nations peace seems more likely than ever. It will be interesting to see how negotiations unfold in the future as to whether the Houthi rebels will give up their land. At the end of the day, terms of peace must be met in any way possible as the lives of innocent Yemen civilians depend on it.
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