Yemen
Shrinking Gray Zones
The ambiguous zones of deterrence that Iran and its allies have established around the Middle East have been shrinking significantly since Oct. 7. That could constrain the way the entire Tehran-backed axis responds to an escalating Gaza war.
Between Qat and a Hard Place
The shrub has caught Yemen in a devilish vicious cycle: As drought intensifies, more farmers turn to qat, and environmental disaster gains speed. And as more farmers turn to qat, seeds that bear food are no longer sown, and Yemen’s hunger crisis grows.
Houthis and Somali Pirates in a Hijacking Whodunit
Piracy returned to the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa in November, after a strange constellation of events that had less to do with armed Somalis in skiffs and more to do with the war in Gaza.
Food Tells the Story of Postwar Aden
War isn’t everything in Yemen, but everything is impacted by the war. Back home, I struggle to find the right words to describe Aden, because despite the destruction on a scale that outstrips any other place I have visited, Aden is beautiful, historic and warm.
‘The Burdened’ Is Not Your Typical Yemeni Civil War Film
The 90-minute film offers an atypical narrative from the Middle East that is in stark contrast to the way the country is covered in Western media, with the typical emphasis on humanitarian issues featuring images of starving children.
Yemen’s Great Enabler Departs
It took years until the Saudis realized that there was a problem with the announced goal of their operation in Yemen to restore the legitimate Hadi government to its place in the capital, Sanaa: Hadi himself had no intention of returning to anywhere in Yemen.
The Festering Wounds of Yemen’s Taiz
Despite the calm, one local official told me, the humanitarian situation was in many ways worse than it was during the worst days of the war: As peoples’ savings have dried up, the informal social solidarity networks that kept many out of poverty have dried up with them.