4/9
Last week, the Houthis killed dozens of Sudanese troops in an ambush, which provoked intense fighting between the coalition and the rebel group. The coalition now claims it is close to driving the Houthis completely out of Midi, a district in Hajjah. The Coalition made this same claim in 2016.
According to OCHA’s latest humanitarian report, 57% of Yemen’s districts were impacted by the war in 2017. The worst affected districts experienced daily airstrikes or armed clashes. This report also documents the ongoing humanitarian work in northern governments, which are currently enduring intensified airstrikes.
4/10
The San’a-based Legal Center for Rights and Development is suing Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in a French Court for complicity in torture, inhumane treatment, and attacks on civilians in Yemen.
The war is approaching the ancient city of Zabid, which is a UNESCO world heritage site. Sitting in a contested region, the city has already been damaged by airstrikes. The International Red Cross is now urging all warring factions to avoid the city.
4/11
According to the Yemen Data Project, there were more Coalition airstrikes in March than there were in January or February. Also, al-Hudaydah endured more airstrikes than it has during any other month in the war. These airstrikes have contributed to the rising death toll, which the data project now places at 24,451.
4/12
A new article on Just Security examines the issue of whether or not the US is officially a party to the conflict in Yemen.
4/13
Through a series of interviews, The Washington Post documents the distance many Saudis feel from the war in Yemen. The interviewees claim it does not impact their lives and that “nobody talks about it.”
The International Crisis Group released a report detailing Iran’s priorities in the Middle East. According to this report, Iran does not view Yemen as a security priority, but as a way to counter the power of Saudi Arabia. This report argues the war “has been a low-cost way of harming Saudi Arabia, and keeping it preoccupied on the Arabian Peninsula and on the defensive” (24).
4/14
There have been reports of multidrug-resistant infections in Yemen, provoking doctors and public health specialists to wonder if the next “superbug” will come from the war-torn state.
4/15
The Yemeni national army is reportedly progressing west in al-Jawf, claiming a strategic mountain range from the Houthis. These efforts were supported by coalition aircraft.
President Hadi defended the actions of Saudi Arabia in Yemen, arguing that the coalition’s entry into the country was necessary to shut down “Iran’s expansionist ambitions.”
4/16
The Prime Minister of Yemen, Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr, claimed his return to Aden will bring stability to the city because government forces will use all of their capabilities to combat threats to security. High-level government officials have been largely absent from the city that officially serves as their provisional capital.