The regional and internal struggle for Yemen

Since the takeover of Sanaa by Zaidi Shi'a rebels and Yemeni President Abdo Rabbu Mansour Hadi's flight to the southern port of Aden, Yemen has inched towards implosion. Events took a dramatic turn with a Saudi Arabia-led coalition launching military action against the rebels and allied branches of the Yemeni military, raising fears that the conflict in Yemen could escalate into a regional one. Our panellists explored who are the Houthis and other waring factions inside Yemen. How will the turmoil in Yemen affect the region? And what are the chances of a political solution to an escalating conflict?

A selection of recent analysis on Yemen from ECFR: Adam Baron; Opening Pandora’s Box in Yemen. MENA Director Daniel Levy and Policy Fellow Julien Barnes-Dacey; Why it may suit Iran to have Saudi Arabia win in Yemen.

Adam Baron is a Visiting Fellow at ECFR. Adam was previously based in Sanaa, Yemen, from 2011-2014 where he worked as a journalist, reporting for the Christian Science Monitor, the Economist and McClatchy newspapers.Adam’s latest publication Civil war in Yemen: imminent and avoidable can be found here.

Mina Al-Oraibi is the Assistant Editor in Chief of Asharq Alawsat, the international pan-Arab daily newspaper. She assumed this position in November 2011, having completed an assignment as Washington D.C. Bureau Chief.

Nawal al-Maghafi is a Yemeni journalist and filmmaker. One of the first journalists to enter the Houthi heartland of Saada, she has reported extensively from Yemen and Saudi Arabia for Reuters, BBC and Channel 4. She is currently a producer at al-Araby al-Jadeed, a pan-arab news channel. 

Anthony Dworkin is a Senior Policy Fellow in the Middle East and North Africa Programme at ECFR.