Yemeni civil war (2014–present)

Groups in Yemen are fighting for power.

One group took the capital city. This city is named Sanaa. The fighting has lasted many years.

This war makes life very hard for people. Many families do not have enough food. Some people cannot get help from doctors. Many people have died from the war. Others have died because they are hungry. People around the world want peace for Yemen.

A civil war has been happening in Yemen for many years.

This war began in late 2014. It started when a group called the Houthis took over Sanaa. Sanaa is the capital city of Yemen. The Houthis fought to take more control of the country. This led to a fight with the government led by President Hadi.

Many other groups and countries have joined the fight too. This has made the war very complex. The fighting has caused great harm to many people. The UN says over 150,000 people have died from the war. Many more have died from hunger or lack of doctors. In 2022, the UN helped make a truce. A truce is a break in the fighting. This helped some people get fuel and fly to other places. Leaders are still working toward a real peace. They want to end the war and help the people of Yemen.

A civil war has been happening in Yemen for a long time. This conflict involves many different groups fighting for power.

The main fight is between the Houthi group and the government. The Houthi group is a Zaydi Shia group from the north. They began as a small group in the Sa'dah Governorate. They fought against the government to protect their way of life. This struggle grew much larger over many years.

The war became much more intense in late 2014. In September 2014, Houthi forces took control of Sanaa. Sanaa is the capital city of Yemen. After they took the capital, they moved to take more land. They fought to push out President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. By March 2015, the Houthis moved into the southern areas. President Hadi had to flee the country during this time.

This started a very large and difficult conflict.

Many other people and countries joined the fight too. A group led by Saudi Arabia began using air strikes. They wanted to help the former government stay in power. This made the war part of a larger struggle between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Other groups like the Southern Transitional Council also joined. They wanted more control over the southern parts of Yemen. The fighting became very complicated for everyone.

The war has caused a lot of sadness for the people living there. The United Nations says that over 150,000 people have died. Even more people have died from hunger and lack of doctors. Famine is a big problem because of the fighting.

Many buildings have been destroyed in cities like Sanaa. People have lost their homes and their safety. It is a very hard time for the families in Yemen.

There have been some small steps toward peace recently. In April 2022, the UN helped make a nationwide truce. A truce is a period where the fighting stops. This truce allowed fuel to reach Houthi areas. It also allowed some planes to fly from Sanaa to other countries.

In December 2023, leaders said they wanted to work on a ceasefire. People hope these steps will lead to a lasting peace for Yemen.

The Yemeni civil war is a complex, multilateral conflict that began in late 2014. It is a struggle for political control involving many different groups and allies. Currently, the war is fought between the Presidential Leadership Council and the Supreme Political Council. Both groups claim they are the official government of Yemen. This conflict has caused massive destruction and a severe humanitarian crisis. It has also become a part of larger regional tensions in the Middle East.

The war began when Houthi forces took control of Sanaa, the capital city. The Houthis are a Zaydi Shia group from the northern Sa'dah Governorate. After taking the capital, they moved to expand their control into southern provinces. In March 2015, the Houthi-led Supreme Revolutionary Committee declared a general mobilization. They aimed to overthrow President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. This offensive included military forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. The fighting moved quickly into the Lahij Governorate and toward the city of Aden.

Different groups and countries have joined the fighting for various reasons. A coalition led by Saudi Arabia launched military operations to restore the former government. This involvement turned the war into a proxy conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Other factions have also emerged, such as the Southern Transitional Council (STC). Formed in 2017, the STC captured Aden in 2018 and seeks more control in the south. This created fractures between pro-Hadi forces and southern separatists. Additionally, groups like Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) have carried out attacks during the chaos.

The history of Yemen includes long-standing religious and political divisions. For centuries, Zaydi Shia and Sunni groups have competed for influence. In the north, Zaydis historically held authoritative power. In the south, different political movements led to the creation of a socialist state called the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen. After Yemen unified in 1990, President Ali Abdullah Saleh ruled for 33 years. However, protests and political pressure eventually forced him out of office. The Houthis began an insurgency in 2004 following the death of their leader, Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi.

The human cost of this war is incredibly high and documented by the United Nations. The UN reports that over 150,000 people have been killed during the conflict. Estimates suggest more than 227,000 people have died from famine and lack of healthcare. These deaths are caused by the ongoing lack of food and medical facilities. The Yemen Data Project estimated that bombing campaigns killed or injured 19,196 civilians by March 2022. The war has left many cities in ruins.

There have been attempts to find a peaceful solution through international mediation. In April 2022, the UN brokered a two-month nationwide truce. This truce allowed fuel imports into Houthi areas and enabled some flights from Sanaa International Airport. The truce was later extended by two months in June 2022. On April 7, 2022, the Hadi government was dissolved. The Presidential Leadership Council took command and included the Southern Transitional Council. In December 2023, the UN special envoy announced that parties were discussing a ceasefire.

This conflict connects to many global political and economic systems. The war involves international arms embargos and foreign military support. For example, the UN Security Council imposed an arms embargo on the Houthis in 2015. The United States has provided intelligence and logistical support to the Saudi-led coalition. Meanwhile, the conflict is also linked to regional diplomacy, such as a Chinese-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia. These connections show how a local civil war can affect the entire world.