Aden's most powerful forces answer to UAE, not Hadi

This is the third of three posts on the role of the United Arab Emirates in southern Yemen, by our guest blogger in Aden, who writes anonymously for professional reasons and safety concerns. The perspective of the author does not necessarily represent the positions of the YPP. The YPP has been able to independently verify some, but not all, of the claims reported herein. The YPP’s Hannah Porter assisted with editing and translation. 

Many of the Yemenis accused of being members of IS or al-Qaeda were arrested by units trained by UAE forces to conduct raids. These forces are not subject to Yemeni authorities nor are their operations approved by Yemen’s prosecution or courts, which have recently been inoperable. 

Aden’s so-called Security Belt Forces are considered the most powerful security unit overseen and trained by the UAE, primarily carrying out orders issued by the commander of UAE forces in Aden to conduct raids and make arrests.

Mohamed Ba Rwis, a famous soccer player for Yemen’s national team and Aden’s al-Wahda club, was unlawfully arrested in July by Security Belt Forces during a raid of his home in al-Mansurah. He was taken to an unknown location, causing his family, friends, and Yemen’s soccer fans to fear for his safety.

Setting a dangerous precedent, the Security Belt Forces also arrested al-Mansurah’s deputy police chief Ayman Alibah and, according to a security source, detained him at one of the UAE-operated prisons in the district of Buriqah. The reason for his arrest is still unknown.

His detention certainly came as a shock to the heads of al-Mansurah’s police force and other security personnel in Aden. The incident also reveals the weak leadership of Aden’s head of security, Shalal Ali Shayae, and the extent of his loyalty to the UAE forces in the area.

These units have carried out dozens of similar arrests of Southern Resistance commanders, including the arrest in early June of Haleem al-Shuaibi, from the Hazm Salman Battalion, and commander Osan al-Kazimi in April.

Aden’s local newspaper, Al-Omanaa, published a statement by Southern Resistance commander Abu Mesh’al al-Dheb who said, “The most painful thing imaginable is to see our national sovereignty violated and to undergo investigation at the hands of foreigners on southern land.”

In the article, al-Dheb delivered an important message to whoever supports these arrests and raids: “Know that you cannot impose your will on a revolutionary people. They may tolerate it for a brief time, but they will absolutely not accept any prolongment or subordination.”

يتم القبض على الكثير منهم من خلال فرق دربت لعمليات المداهمات والاقتحامات تتبع القوات الاماراتية ولا تخضع للسلطات اليمنية ولا تستند الى إذن من النيابة والمحاكم التي جلها معطلة حتى هذه اللحظة.

وتعتبر قوات ما تسمى "الحزام الامني"، اهم الوحدات الامنية التي دربتها وتشرف عليها القوات الاماراتية وهي تنفذ بشكل رئيسي الاوامر التي تأتيها من قائد القوات الاماراتية الموجود في عدن للقيام بعمليات المداهمة والاعتقال.

محمد بارويس، لاعب كرة القدم الشهير في المنتخب اليمني. يلعب في صفوف نادي الوحدة في عدن. تعرض هو الاخر للأعتقال علي ايدي قوات الحزام الامني التي اقتحمت منزلة الواقع في مديرية المنصورة واقتاده الى مكان مجهول بعد ان اعتقلته خارج إطار القانون. مسببين في ذلك الخوف في اوساط اسرته ومحبيه من عشاق كرة القدم في اليمن.

هذا ليس كل شيء، فقوات الحزام الامني تعتبر اعلى سلطة امنية في محافظة عدن بسبب تبعيتها للقوات الاماراتية التي تتولى بدورها إدارة الملف الامني. ففي سابقة خطيره. اعتقلت تلك القوات نائب شرطة المنصورة، ايمن اللبه, اثناء تواجده في احد احياء مديرية المنصورة و زجت به بالسجن التابع للقوات الاماراتية في مديرية البريقة وفق مصدر خاص. وليس من الواضح حتى الان سبب الاعتقال.

دون شك، إن مثل هذا الاجراء يشكل صدمة لقيادة شرطة المنصورة وبقية الافراد المنتمين للأمن العام في عدن. وهو ايضاً يوضح ضعف قيادة الامن العام ممثلة باللواء شلال شائع و مدى ولائه للقوات الاماراتية المتواجدة في المدينة.

يذكر أن قوات الحزام الأمني نفذت عشرات الاعتقالات المشابهة بحق قادة ميدانين بالمقاومة الجنوبية كان آخرهم حليم الشعيبي القيادي بكتيبة حزم سلمان وقبله القيادي أوسان الكازمي.

وقد اوردت صحيفة الامناء، وهي صحيفة محلية تصدر في عدن تصريح لأحد قادة المقاومة الجنوبية اسمة ابو مشعل الذيب يقول فيه: قمة الالم هو عندما تنتهك السيادة الوطنية ويتم التحقيق مع الثوار على ارض جنوبية بأيدي خارجية.

وبحسب تعبير الصحيفة فإن القائد ابو مشعل الكازمي ارسل رسالة هامة إلى كل من يقفون وراء عمليات الاعتقالات والمداهمات التي طالت منازل قيادات المقاومة قائلاُ : ياهؤلاء عليكم أن تعلموا انه لايمكن فرض إملاءات على شعب ثائر قد يتقبل فترة مؤقتة لظروف هنا وهناك لكنه قطعآ لن يقبل أي تسويف او وصاية او خضوع.

July 18-24: Kuwait issues ultimatum for talks, UK retracts statements on Saudi crimes

Monday, July 18Two car bombs struck military checkpoints in the southern port city of Mukalla, killing between five and ten people and wounding many more. The attack was claimed by Al-Qaeda.

On the second day of peace talks following a break for Eid, UN Special Envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed met separately with warring sides. On Sunday, President Hadi warned that his government would boycott the talks if Ould Cheikh Ahmed insisted on a roadmap stipulating a unity government that included the Houthis.

A Huffington Post article by Rasha Jarhum sheds light on the underrepresentation of women in Yemen’s peace talks, and the effect this imbalance will have on the country’s future. There are only three women among the 26 negotiators at the talks despite an agreement at the NDC that women should make up at least 30% of negotiators. Because of their poor representation at talks, issues such as the protection of women and children in conflict and reparations for affected communities are not receiving proper attention.

Tuesday, July 19 The deterioration of Yemen’s economy is noticeably impacting daily life, as locals are frequently unable to afford basic goods such as food and fuel. The prices of these goods fluctuate and are dependent on the dropping value of the rial. Foreign importers have been unable to obtain the loans necessary to deliver food to Yemen, forcing the prices of staples like grain and wheat to surge. Meanwhile, health clinics have been unable to operate as medical supplies are unobtainable and foreign healthcare workers are fleeing the country.

Wednesday, July 20 Muftah published a series of articles on the problematic media landscape in Yemen, illustrating how the war has distorted or hindered reporting on the ground. Various journalists and academics specializing in Yemen collaborated on these pieces as part of a conference held by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung’s Regional Office, Gulf States, in May.

An explosion in central Aden killed four soldiers and wounded six others in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. Security officials and other witnesses said the blast was set off by a suicide bomber detonating an explosive vest.

Yemen's Central Bank Governor Mohammed bin Hammam said a second round of transfers of bank funds abroad to facilitate imports would take place in the coming days. The first batch of transfers came earlier this year. The civil war has left importers unable to buy food stocks as over $200 million is stuck in banks.

Thursday, July 21 Kuwait issued an ultimatum to Yemen’s negotiating parties, saying that an agreement must be reached within the next 15 days or the delegations will need to leave the country.

“We have given 15 days for Yemeni sides taking part in the talks to resolve all the issues,” Kuwait’s deputy foreign minister Khalid al-Jarallah told Al Arabiya.

“If matters are not resolved within the 15 days, we have hosted them enough and consequently our brothers have to excuse us if we cannot continue hosting,” said al-Jarallah.

Friday, July 22 An analysis by Stratfor weighs the possible outcomes of the next, and ostensibly last, two weeks of negotiations. It seems unlikely that an agreement will be reached soon, as it would require both sides to make concessions. However, even if they do manage to strike a deal, that is no guarantee that militant factions on the ground would adhere to their decision.

“The actions of Houthi forces on the ground indicate that their leaders likely believe the talks will amount to nothing. A Houthi spokesperson issued an ultimatum July 19: Houthi border offensives will continue until Saudi airstrikes halt. And indeed, cross-border shelling by militants into Saudi Arabia's southern districts, including Jizan, have increased.”

The Wall Street Journal reports on the Saudi perspective on the war in Yemen. The piece quotes prominent Saudi commentator Jamal Khashoggi, who explains that Saudi Arabia is not under any significant domestic or military pressure to end the conflict, even though the coalition has so far failed to accomplish its goal of pushing the Houthis out of San’a.

“Yes, the war is expensive, but we should finish it well. If we stop it without getting San’a and disarming the Houthis, it will be a historical and military catastrophe,” warned Ibrahim al Marie, a retired Saudi colonel and a political strategist and commentator. “It would be a problem for the confidence between the government and the people, and the decision makers in the kingdom know this very well.”

The UK’s Foreign Office has been forced to retract statements to parliament which said ministers had assessed that Saudi Arabia was not in breach of international humanitarian law in Yemen.

The Foreign Office claimed that the incorrect statements, made by three different ministers, were errors and did not represent an attempt to mislead. The UK government is facing a court case arguing that it should ban arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

A car bomb exploded outside the Houthi-run Bilal mosque in San’a as worshippers were finishing prayers. No casualties were reported and no group has claimed responsibility.

Gulf News reports that an outbreak of dengue fever in Shabwa province has killed 27 people and infected approximately 3,000 others. Officials warn that the disease is spreading due to a lack of drugs and insecticide.

Saturday, July 23 Hadi’s government-in-exile says it will leave talks in Kuwait by early August with or without a deal. Yemen’s foreign affairs minister Abdul Malik Al-Mikhlafi added, “This is a last chance for peace. If [the Houthis and Saleh] waste it thinking that they can come to Kuwait to manoeuvre and waste time then they’re deluded.”

Sunday, July 24 General Mansour Al-Hasani told Okaz news that there has been an increased siege by Houthi forces on Ta’iz, blocking off all roads into the city and preventing anyone from entering to deliver food or aid.

July 11-17: Peace talks resume despite Hadi's threats to boycott

Monday, July 11The Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies released a report outlining the accomplishments and setbacks of the UN-sponsored peace talks in Kuwait. Although progress at the talks has been slow, some important steps have been taken to end hostilities including prisoner exchanges, the facilitation of commercial imports, and working towards building confidence between the warring sides.

The report was released while the parties to the talks were on break for Eid al-Fitr. The negotiations resumed on Saturday, but were preceded with threats by Hadi’s government to boycott the talks due to a lack of progress.

A report by Human Rights Watch documents seventeen airstrikes carried out by the Saudi-led coalition on factories, warehouses, and other civilian economic infrastructures. The strikes, which killed 130 civilians, injured many more, and left hundreds unemployed, likely amount to war crimes. Human Rights Watch is calling for the removal of Saudi Arabia from the UN Human Rights Council and demands that the coalition agree to an independent international inquiry into these and other unlawful attacks.

Tuesday, July 12 Yemen’s Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Malik al-Mekhlafi said that Hadi’s government will not return to negotiations with the Houthi delegation without “guarantees,” a timetable, and an acceptance of Hadi’s “legitimacy” as president.

Wednesday, July 13 The Guardian’s Owen Jones speaks to Yemeni refugees about the horrors they faced during the war, and questions Sir Alan Duncan, the UK's envoy to Yemen, about the UK's relationship with Saudi Arabia, including banned cluster bombs produced in the UK that have been found to be used by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.

UN Envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed arrived in San’a to meet with Houthi and Saleh representatives in preparation for the resumption of talks in Kuwait following a two-week hiatus. Forty-four people were reportedly killed in clashes and airstrikes in the 24 hours leading up to the envoy’s visit.

The Popular Resistance in Ta’iz is seeking donations from the public to pay the salaries of their fighters who are battling the Houthis.

The Popular Resistance controls central Ta’iz as well as some rural areas but the Houthis still maintain control over the main entrances of the city and have imposed a crippling siege on it since last August.

One volunteer with the resistance who has been going door-to-door to collect donations told Middle East Eye that "It has become clear that the Yemeni government and the coalition countries have betrayed Ta’iz, so residents have to support the Resistance fighters, who are fighting for the sake of Ta’iz to protect our province from the invaders who came from Saada," referring to the Houthis.

Thursday, July 14 UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon asked Saudi Arabia to provide information on actions the coalition is taking to prevent the killing and wounding of children in Yemen. Riyadh said it was conducting its military operations with "great care,” but last month’s UN report on children in conflict accused Saudi Arabia of being the group responsible for the most child deaths in Yemen. The kingdom was quickly removed from the list due to threats by Saudi officials to withdraw funding from UN-sponsored aid programs.

Many Yemenis are facing famine due to a shortage of food imports. Western banks have cut credit lines for traders importing food to Yemen out of fear that their loans will go unpaid because of Yemen’s fragile economic state. Approximately $260 million of funds are frozen due to civil war disruption.

Houthi delegates traveled to Kuwait to resume talks after a two week break for Eid al-Fitr. Al-Arabiya reports that the talks between the two sides will resume on Saturday, but Hadi’s government has threatened to boycott the talks if there are no “guarantees” or a timetable. His government demands that UN resolution 2216, which requires the Houthis to give up arms and withdraw from seized territory, be implemented before a government is formed. The Houthis are demanding a share of power in a new government, but Hadi recently said during his trip to Marib that he will not allow the United Nations to implement decisions that would form a coalition government, adding that he will not return to Kuwait if the UN issued such a decision.

Friday, July 15 According to US Army General Joseph Votel, who oversees the small group of American troops in Yemen, the US is contemplating increased military presence in the country to fight al-Qaeda. The few American troops currently in Yemen provided intelligence to the coalition, particularly the UAE, to help push AQAP out of Mukalla earlier this year.

"If we can continue to better understand what al-Qaeda's doing, regain the situational awareness that we lost when we all had to depart Yemen here some time ago, that's what I'm interested in doing," Votel said.

Despite years of US drone strikes on al-Qaeda members and leaders in Yemen, the group has managed to thrive, gaining territory and earning tens of millions of dollars by taking advantage of the security vacuum created by the ongoing war.

A suicide car bomb in Aden’s Inmaa district targeted the convoy of Governor Aidrus al-Zubaydi and police chief Shalal Ali Shayae. Both escaped unharmed. Zubaydi and Shayae have survived a number of previous assassination attempts.

Medecins Sans Frontieres reports that civilians are dying even in non-combat zones in Yemen due to the country’s crumbling health system and lack of medical supplies. Before the war erupted in March 2015, Yemen relied heavily on imported medical supplies and foreign doctors, many of whom have now fled. Yemenis who suffer from treatable conditions such as asthma, hypertension, and diabetes may die from lack of care.

Saturday, July 16 Peace talks resumed in Kuwait despite earlier threats by Hadi’s government to boycott the negotiations. UN Envoy Ould Cheikh Ahmed told the warring parties that, ““The time has come for you to take definitive decisions that demonstrate to the Yemeni people the sincerity of your intentions and your national obligations.” The envoy noted that the negotiations will continue for two weeks and will be centered around Security Resolution 2216, the Gulf Initiative, and the outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference.

Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for Friday’s car bombing that unsuccessfully targeted Aden’s governor and police chief.

Emirati forces run extrajudicial prisons across the South

This is the second of three posts on the role of the United Arab Emirates in southern Yemen, by our guest blogger in Aden, who writes anonymously for professional reasons and safety concerns. The perspective of the author does not necessarily represent the positions of the YPP. The YPP has been able to independently verify some, but not all, of the claims reported herein. The YPP’s Hannah Porter assisted with editing and translation.

It is fair to say that the United Arab Emirates has control over matters of security in Aden province, especially with the help of Aden’s governor Aidrus al-Zubaydi and head of security Shalal Ali Shayae. It appears, however, that Hadi’s government has recently been experiencing some tension with the forces controlling its temporary capital.

More than 2,000 Yemeni citizens from northern provinces working in Aden have been expelled with the help of UAE forces. Those carrying out the expulsions believe that northern Yemenis working in the South are either spies working for the Houthis and Saleh or saboteurs seeking to thwart future attempts at self-determination in South Yemen.

Despite clear orders from President Hadi and Prime Minister Ahmed bin Daghr instructing al-Zubaydi and Shayae to end the campaigns of deportation, the author witnessed deportations as recently as June 20.

Northern Yemenis who are arrested for the purpose of deportation are mainly thrown in the central prison in Aden’s district of al-Mansurah.

Yemen’s state judiciary is not functioning at all in this part of the country, so security and law enforcement, such as it is, is in the hands of local authorities and foreign forces. In Aden and other parts of the south, some of these functions are being carried out by local armed forces trained and equipped by the UAE.

In Aden alone there are four extrajudicial prisons run by the UAE, where dozens of Yemenis are tortured and forced to confess to being members of AQAP or IS. One is located behind Sha’ab City, near the residences of the UAE forces. Another is at the presidential palace in the area of Maashiq in Sirah (Crater) District. A third can be found at the coast guard camp in Khormaksar’s al-Arish District. The final prison is located in the Ras Abbas area in the district of Buriqah.

In Lahj province, UAE forces also keep detainees at al-Anad air force base. Some sources claim that another UAE-run detention facility exists on the island of Soqotra.

In Hadhramawt province, UAE forces use the Khalef area of Mukalla as a locale for one of their prisons. As a result of the many extrajudicial campaigns to arrest suspects in and around Mukalla, UAE forces and their local allies may open additional prisons as well.

لا ابالغ ان قلت ان الامارات تتولى ادارة الملف الامني في محافظة عدن على وجه التحديد بواسطة وكلائها في الداخل وهم محافظ عدن ومدير الامن. ويبدو ان الحكومة الموالية لهادي قد بدءت تشعر بالانزعاج مؤخراً.

اكثر من 2000 مواطن يمني ينتمون الى المحافظات الشمالية ويعملون في عدن قد تم ترحيلهم الى خارج المحافظة بدعم من القوات الاماراتية المتواجدة في المدينة. يعتقد القائمون على عمليات الترحيل بأن المواطنين المنتميين الى المحافظات الشمالية الذين يعملون بعدن هم إما جواسيس يتبعون قوات انصار الله وصالح، او جماعات تخريبية قد ينبع منها ردات فعل عكسية تجاه اي خطوات مستقبلية تتعلق بتقرير مصير جنوب اليمن.

وبالرغم من الاوامر الصريحة من رئيس الجمهورية اليمنية ورئيس الوزراء التي توجه محافظ عدن ومدير امنها بوقف حملات الترحيل إلا ان كاتب المقال شاهد بعينية احد عمليات الترحيل في تاريخ يونيو 20.

يزج بالمواطنين الشماليين الذين يتم القبض عليهم لغرض ترحيلهم بشكل رئيسي في سجن المنصورة المركزي، في مديرية المنصورة.

وفي ذات الملف الامني، تدير القوات الإماراتية سبعة سجون خارج إطار القانون في جنوب اليمن، يعذب فيها العشرات بشكل مهين وتُنتزع منهم اعترافات بالإكراه تفيد بأنهم أعضاء في تنظيمي القاعدة والدولة الاسلامية باليمن.

في عدن وحدها توجد اربعة سجون تديرها القوات الإماراتية. اول هذه السجون يقع خلف مدينة الشعب وهو قريب من مقر إقامة القوات الإماراتية. بينما يقع السجن الثاني الذي تديره القوات الإماراتية في القصر الرئاسي بمنطقة معاشيق في مديرية صيرة. اما السجن الثالث فيوجد في معسكر قوات خفر السواحل، منطقة العريش في مديرية خورمكسر. والسجن الرابع يقع في منطقة رأس عباس، مديرية البريقة.

 وفي محافظة لحج، تتخد القوات الأماراتية من قاعدة العند الجوية العسكرية سجن اخر تديرة بشكل سري.

وفي محافظة سقطرى ايضاً تتخد القوات الاماراتي موقعاً لأحد سجونها السرية.

وفي محافظة حضرموت، تتخد القوات الإماراتية من منطقة خلف في عاصمة المكلا مكاناً لأحد سجونها في اليمن. وهنا من المهم الحديث من ان نتيجه للحملات خارج إطار القانون الكبيرة تجاه الكثير من المشتبه بهم من سكان المكلا والمناطق القريبة منها. قد لجئت القوات الاماراتية لفتح سجون اخرى بشكل سري لم يسمح لي بالتعرف عليها حتى الان

يتم القبض على الكثير منهم من خلال فرق دربت لعمليات المداهمات والاقتحامات تتبع القوات الاماراتية ولا تخضع للسلطات اليمنية ولا تستند الى إذن من النيابة والمحاكم التي جلها معطلة حتى هذه اللحظة.

July 4-10: AQAP storms Aden base, Hadi makes brief visit to Marib

Monday, July 4Saudi Arabia intercepted a ballistic missile fired across the border from Yemen early Monday, the Saudi-led coalition reported. The missile, which was launched by Houthi forces towards the southern Saudi city of Abha, was intercepted with no injuries after the missile launcher was destroyed by the kingdom’s air defenses.

Gulf News reports that it was at least the fourth ballistic missile launched across the border since the ceasefire and UN-brokered peace talks began in Kuwait in April between the Houthis and Hadi’s government. The Saudi-led coalition has similarly violated the ceasefire with continued airstrikes.

Yemen’s Central Bank refused to pay government employees on Sunday due to its severe shortage of funds. The bank is reportedly facing a daily deficit of 94 billion rials, "resulting from a lack of tax revenue and a 200% reduction in the country's revenues."

A governmental report submitted by Yemeni Finance Minister Munser al-Quaiti to ambassadors of donor countries within the context of the Kuwait peace talks two weeks ago said the Houthi militias seized $1.6 billion of foreign exchange reserves during the past 16 months under the pretext of “war efforts.”

Tuesday, July 5 Rockets launched by Houthi forces killed seven children and wounded twenty-five other civilians in Marib. One rocket reportedly struck a courtyard where the children were playing while two other rockets hit a home and a storefront. The number of casualties was provided by the director of Marib’s main hospital, which received the victims.

Wednesday, July 6 An attack by al-Qaeda at Aden’s Solaban military base in Khormaksar killed at least fourteen soldiers and wounded dozens more. Six attackers were also killed.

The militants detonated a suicide car bomb at the gate, allowing more fighters onto the base. They exchanged gunfire with troops for hours, only withdrawing after Apache helicopters carried out a series of strikes on the base.

AQAP called the attack revenge for government assaults elsewhere in southern Yemen.

The Washington Post reports on an increase in the marriage of underage girls in Yemen as a result of the conflict. Organizations that have worked in Yemen to end this practice say that before the war, instances of underage marriage were decreasing. As more families are now being displaced and facing extreme poverty, many of them marry off one of their daughters, sometimes as young as eight, in order to support the rest of the family.

Friday, July 8 US Central Command reports that four al-Qaeda operatives have been killed in two strikes in Shabwa province on July 1 and July 4. The report states that “The U.S. will not relent in its mission to degrade, disrupt and destroy al-Qaida and its remnants,” claiming that, “Strikes conducted by the U.S. in Yemen continue to diminish AQAP’s presence in the region.”

The release comes a week after the Obama administration reported the number of civilians killed in American strikes in non-combat zones in the past seven years. The tally was reported at 116, but independent organizations estimate that the civilian death toll is much higher.

Yemen’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdul Malik al-Mekhlafi told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Saudi-led coalition’s Operation Decisive Storm was “launched for the sake of Yemen and the Arab and Islamic World,” and denied any intention to back off “until legitimacy is achieved in Yemen.”

He added that UN Special Envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed “betrayed the Yemeni government’s trust when he submitted the roadmap project without discussing it with the government delegation.”

Al-Mekhlafi said that Ould Sheikh Ahmed will meet with President Hadi and government members following Eid al-Fitr to discuss the roadmap.

Saturday, July 9 Since the war began in March 2015, most of Yemen’s 1,200 foreign doctors have been forced to flee. The lack of practitioners has left critically-injured patients, especially those in need of specialized medical attention, with nowhere to turn.

Doctors working in Yemen, even those affiliated with Doctors Without Borders and other international organizations, face the ongoing danger of airstrikes. Many hospitals have been bombed, and doctors have been killed while attempting to provide medical assistance to those wounded in airstrikes.

In another part to The Washington Post’s recent series on Yemen’s conflict, Sudarsan Raghavan reports on the use of American-made cluster bombs by the Saudi coalition. The use of these bombs not only has tragic consequences for innocent civilians, including children, but has further damaged the reputation of the United States in the eyes of many Yemenis, who struggle to understand why a country with “principles of democracy and human rights” is participating in the indiscriminate bombing of their country.

Sunday, July 10 President Hadi arrived in Marib for his first visit since Houthi forces were expelled from the area a year ago. Hadi, along with Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar and other officials, is said to be monitoring the military and security situation there. In today's speech, Hadi said that he will not allow the United Nations to implement decisions that would form a coalition government, adding that he will not return to Kuwait if the UN issued such a decision. Hadi also said he would not allow the Houthis “to establish a Persian nation in Yemen,” referring to the rebels' limited ties with Iran.

These threatening comments by Hadi could undermine the peace talks, which by all accounts have been making slow but steady progress to end Yemen’s 15-month-long war.

During Hadi’s visit, a suspected US drone strike wounded four alleged members of al-Qaeda in Marib province. Neither Hadi’s government nor the US have commented on the strike.

The US has released from Guantanamo Bay Fayiz Ahmad Yahia Suleiman, a Yemeni held at the prison for 14 and a half years without charge. Although Mr. Suleiman was cleared for transfer six years ago after being falsely accused of connections with al-Qaeda, he is only now being resettled in Italy.

“Like many low-level Yemenis on the list, [Suleiman] remained stranded because the administration deemed his home country too chaotic to accept repatriated detainees.”

UAE abuses in the south receive little attention

We are pleased to feature another piece by our guest blogger in Aden, who writes anonymously for professional reasons and safety concerns. The perspective of the author does not necessarily represent the positions of the YPP. The YPP has not been able to independently verify the facts reported herein. The YPP’s Hannah Porter assisted with editing and translation.

Mid-July marks the first anniversary of the battle to retake control of Aden from Ansarullah (Houthi) and Saleh forces. With military and financial support from the Saudi- and Emirati-led Arab coalition forces, a mix of Salafi militias, the Southern Resistance, mercenaries loyal to President Hadi, and members of Ansar al-Shariah/al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AAS/AQAP) formed a united front against the Houthis.

A year on, the United Arab Emirates continues to play a prominent role in South Yemen, particularly in Aden. The Emirati Red Crescent promotes a polished image of the UAE across the world and within Yemen by providing increased aid to the country.

Yet a different image—that of the UAE’s military role in South Yemen—is still incomplete. Apart from the military training, weapons, and armed vehicles that the Emirates provides to their southern agents, specifically to Aden’s governor Aidrus al-Zubaydi and security director Shalal Ali Shayae, there is another side to the story that journalists and activists don’t dare to touch, possibly because of Emirati support for their media outlets and humanitarian organizations, or because of the security crackdown by al-Zubaydi and Shayae.

The UAE has presented itself in southern Yemen as a global partner in the war on terror. Emirati forces oversaw the security crackdown last March in Aden’s al-Mansurah district and in al-Mukalla, the capital of Hadhramawt province, which was under AQAP control until recently. As a result of the Emirati-led offensive, AQAP chose to withdraw from Mukalla in April following consultations with respected local figures.

The security crackdown overseen by Emirati security forces, including a string of arrests of those with suspected ties to AQAP and the Islamic State group (IS), has been conducted outside the rule of law, according to some local observers. Emirati forces allegedly operate seven secret prisons in southern Yemen, where dozens of Yemenis have been tortured and forced to confess to being members of AQAP or IS.

A former detainee in one of the prisons said, “They allowed us to go to the bathroom once a day and did not allow us to pray. They forced me to write a false confession to being a member of al-Qaeda after subjecting me to agonizing torture.”

Many families do not know the fate of their sons who are being illegally detained in prisons under Hadi’s authority and those seven prisons run by the UAE. Thus far, international organizations and foreign powers have paid little attention to this aspect of Emirati involvement in Yemen. Given the immense scope of human rights violations being committed by all parties to Yemen’s conflict, the plight of these detainees will likely continue to be ignored.

يصادف منتصف يوليو/تموز الذكرى السنوية لبدء معارك استعادة السيطرة على مدينة عدن من قوات أنصار الله/ صالح. مزيج من مليشيات سلفية، إلى جانب المقاومة الجنوبية، وقلة من المرتزقة المواليين للرئيس هادي بالإضافة الى أنصار الشريعة جميعهم شكلوا جبهة موحدة دعمت بالمال والسلاح من قوات التحالف العربي بقيادة شقيه السعودي والإماراتي.

لعبت الإمارات العربية المتحدة دورًا بارزًا في عدن وجنوب اليمن بشكل عام ولا تزال تلعب ذلك الدور حتى الآن. فالهلال الأحمر الإماراتي ما زال يغذي الصورة الساطعة للإمارات في أوساط المجتمع اليمني والعالم من خلال الدعم الغذائي المتنامي الذي يقدم لليمنيين.

بينما الدور العسكري للإمارات العربية المتحدة في جنوب اليمن لا يزال غير مكتمل الصورة. بعيدًا عن العربات والأسلحة والتدريب الذي تقدمة الإمارات العربية المتحدة لوكلائها في جنوب اليمن وعلى رأسهم محافظ عدن ومدير أمنها, ثمة دور آخر لا يقترب منه إعلاميو وحقوقيو جنوب اليمن ولا يريدون الكتابة عنه ربما للدعم الإماراتي لوسائلهم الإعلامية ومنظماتهم المدنية وربما أيضًا للقمع الأمني الذي يقوده كل من محافظ عدن و مدير أمنه.

أعلنت الإمارات العربية المتحدة للعالم أن دورها في جنوب اليمن يأتي ضمن الجهود العالمية لمحاربة الإرهاب. اشتباكات خفيفة أشرفت عليها القوات الاماراتية في المنصورة بعدن وأخرى في مدينة المكلا, عاصمة محافظة حضرموت كبرى المحافظات اليمنية شرقي البلاد, على إثرها اختار أنصار الشريعة الانسحاب طواعية استجابة لوساطة مجتمعية من شخصيات تحظى باحترام المجتمع في كلا المنطقتين.

إلا أن حملات الاعتقالات التي تشرف عليها القوات الإماراتية في جنوب اليمن تجاه المشتبه بانتمائهم لتنظيمي القاعدة وداعش تمضي باستمرار خارج إطار القانون, بالإضافة إلى حملات الترحيل القسري للشماليين الذي يعملون في مناطق جنوب اليمن وخصوصًا عدن.

تدير القوات الإماراتية سبعة سجون في جنوب اليمن، يعذب فيها العشرات بشكل مهين وتُنتزع منهم اعترافات بالإكراه تفيد بأنهم أعضاء في تنظيمي القاعدة والدولة الاسلامية باليمن.

أحد الذين كانوا معتقلين قال: ((يسمح لنا الذهاب مرة واحدة في اليوم لدورة المياه، كما لا يسمح لنا بممارسة شعائرنا الدينية, وارغموني على تسجيل اعتراف كاذب بأني عضو في القاعدة بعدما تلقيتُ تعذيبًا مبرحًا)).

كثير من العائلات لا تعرف ما هو مصير أبنائها المحتجزين خارج إطار القانون في سجون جنوب اليمن التي تديرها سلطة الرئيس هادي, والسبعة السجون التي تديرها القوات الإماراتية. والسؤال الذي علينا أن نسأل ضمائرنا هو: "من يكترث لمصير هؤلاء!؟"

June 27-July 3: IS attacks kill dozens, Kuwait talks adjourn for Eid

Monday, June 27Three bomb attacks by the Islamic State group on Yemeni government forces killed 38 and wounded 24 in Mukalla on Monday, according to medics and security sources.

The first explosion occurred as an attacker detonated his suicide vest at a checkpoint near Mukalla, while the second blast was from a car bomb at the city’s military intelligence headquarters. The last was an improvised explosive device which went off as soldiers were preparing to break fast for Ramadan.

Representatives from the Houthi delegation and the Hadi government announced plans to suspend talks in Kuwait in time for Eid al-Fitr, the end of the holy month of Ramadan. They will reportedly return to talks in mid-July.

One of the negotiators, a minister in Hadi’s government said "the return to the talks is meant to save face after reaching a deadlock."

The deadlock he is likely referring to is the refusal of the Houthis to meet the demands of the Hadi government and UN Security Resolution 2216 which would require them to relinquish their seized weapons and territory before a unity government is formed.

Tuesday, June 28 A Saudi-led airstrike in Houthi-controlled Ta’iz killed upwards of 25 people, including at least 10 civilians, according to security officials. The strike also wounded eight civilians. Most of the victims were shoppers or storekeepers in the area.

A report by Reuters explains how the UAE’s role in Yemen has evolved from targeting the Houthis to implementing what some see as an effective new strategy in counterterrorism. The UAE has apparently proven itself to be one of America's most important allies in fighting Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

“Retired General Anthony Zinni, former chief of U.S. Central Command, told Reuters the UAE was ‘a top military’ in the region and ‘exponentially more capable than its size might indicate...It has also shown the ability to hang in there despite casualties ... (The UAE) has proven its willingness to fight alongside the U.S. and coalitions.’”

Wednesday, June 29 Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International are calling for the removal of Saudi Arabia from the United Nations Human Rights Council due to the country’s “gross and systematic violations of human rights.” The groups accuse Saudi Arabia of obstructing justice for possible war crimes and demand that the country’s membership be revoked until it ends its “unlawful attacks in Yemen.”

Both groups, among a number of other organizations, have documented violations of humanitarian and international law committed by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, including the targeting of civilian areas and the use of internationally-banned cluster bombs.

Peace talks in Kuwait, which started two months ago, adjourned for two weeks for Eid al-Fitr, and are set to resume on July 15.

"The two delegations will use the coming two weeks to meet their respective leaderships," UN Special Envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said in a statement.

"(They) will then return to Kuwait with practical recommendations on how to implement the necessary mechanisms that will enable them to sign a peace accord and thus end the conflict in Yemen."

Thursday, June 30 In response to the demand by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International that Saudi Arabia be suspended from the UN’s Human Rights Council, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the council Faisal Trad said that his country is “keen” to abide by international law and assist humanitarian organizations.

"With regard to Yemen, Saudi Arabia and the coalition (are) keen to abide by international humanitarian law and apply the highest international rules of engagement which corresponds with international regulations," Ambassador Trad wrote.

Saudi Arabia was recently charged in a UN report with being the group responsible for the highest number of child deaths in Yemen in the past year, but was quickly removed after Saudi officials threatened to withdraw funding from UN-sponsored programs if it was not taken off the blacklist.

The Houthis and Hadi’s government have exchanged a total of more than 700 prisoners, including more than 50 children, since the start of the peace talks two months ago, the UN special envoy for Yemen said. Most of these prisoner exchanges have been coordinated by local and tribal officials. Details of each exchange, including the number released by each side, was not provided.

Friday, July 1 The Obama administration released on Friday internal estimates showing that up to 116 civilians have been killed during US strikes against suspected terrorists in the past seven years. The estimates, which have not previously been released, include strikes by manned and unmanned aircraft outside combat zones, such as Yemen, Pakistan, Somalia, and Libya. Estimates by independent organizations of civilian casualties as a result of such strikes place the death toll much higher.

The number of civilians killed in strikes in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan were not announced by the government. Between 2,372 and 2,581 so-called “combatants” were killed in the non-combat zones over the same period.

The report comes as security officials and Yemeni tribesmen say that at least three suspected al-Qaeda militants were killed in a drone strike in Shabwa on Thursday.

Saturday, July 2 Seven Houthi fighters and three pro-government forces were killed in clashes in Nihm district, east of San’a, according to security officials.

Houthi-run Yemen News Agency said the violence erupted when Houthi forces "repulsed an attempt by pro-government forces to advance to Yam Mount, east of Nihm district.”

Al Jazeera reports on the 200,000 civilians impacted by the 15-month-long Houthi siege on Ta’iz. The city is experiencing a severe shortage of food, water, fuel, and medical supplies. Thirty-seven out of the 40 hospitals in Ta’iz have been forced to close and aid organizations say they are regularly prevented from delivering essential supplies to the city.

Sunday, July 3 Mareb Press reports that Yemen’s government has announced that, in the case of the Kuwait talks failing, peace will be imposed by force. Meanwhile, a prominent member of the Houthi delegation foresees a military escalation in the coming days.

“Spokesman for the Yemeni government Rajeh Badi said in an interview with Al Jazeera that the Houthi militias and forces loyal to ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh only understand the language of force, adding that the Yemeni government realized that the Houthis only came to Kuwait to legitimize the coup.”

A member of the Houthi delegation reportedly expects the military escalation during Eid al-Fitr, which would "aim to undo the progress of the Kuwait talks."

June 20-26: Ceasefire violations kill dozens, UN urges immediate resolution

Tuesday, June 21Following two months of negotiations in Kuwait, UN Special Envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed urged the country’s warring parties to finalize a peace deal as soon as possible. The envoy emphasized that now is the time for both the Houthis and Hadi’s government to make concessions. He added that the recently introduced roadmap to resolve the conflict, which outlines the formation and responsibilities of a national unity government, has been received positively by both sides.

The Saudi-led coalition said that it intercepted a ballistic missile fired in Marib, while locals say a Saudi airstrike in Lahj caused eight civilian casualties. The exchange is one of many instances of violations of the ceasefire by all sides of the conflict.

Decades after the disappearance of thousands of Yemeni Jewish children in Israel between 1948 and 1954, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is calling to “reveal the truth about the Yemenite children,” saying that “the time has come to know what happened and to do justice here.”

Between 1,500 and 5,000 Sephardic children, mainly Yemenite toddlers, were reported missing during the period following Israel’s founding. Many parents were told that their children had died, sparking claims they were kidnapped and given to Ashkenazi couples.

Wednesday, June 22 A senior UN official said that already limited food distribution in Yemen will be forced to scale back by August because of severe funding shortages.

“About 14 million people, or roughly half the country's population, suffer from food insecurity at ‘crisis’ or ‘emergency’ levels,” said George Khoury, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Yemen. Emergency level is just one step before famine on the UN's food insecurity scale. About $200 million is reportedly needed to keep food distribution at current levels in the coming months.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met with Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss improving civilian protection in Yemen, and other regional issues. The meeting, requested by the Saudis, comes following the release of a UN report that originally listed the Saudi-led coalition as the group responsible for the most child deaths in Yemen in the past year. The coalition was removed from the list after Saudi Arabia threatened to withdraw funding from UN programs. Ban claims to stand by the original report.

Yemeni Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Mohammed al-Maitami said that an evaluation of war damages in six Yemeni governorates has been completed, with initial estimates reaching $12 billion.

The survey focused on six major sectors including health, education, electricity, and water. Maitami added that the study was carried out by the Yemeni government in cooperation with experts from the European Union and the United Nations Development Program.

Thursday, June 23 Residents of Ja’ar and Zinjibar reported that al-Qaeda fighters have returned to the southern cities a month after their negotiated withdrawal. Militants are now said to be seen during the day driving pickup trucks mounted with anti-aircraft guns and retreating to hideouts at night.

The Yemeni government said that Houthi forces must withdraw from all territories seized since 2014 and hand back control of state institutions ahead of any political settlement.

Meanwhile, the Houthi delegation said it would not agree to any deal on military and security issues until there was an agreement on a consensus president and a national unity government to oversee the transition. This disagreement on the sequence of a political settlement has long been one of the major sticking points in the negotiations.

Friday, June 24 Clashes across Yemen, including in Jawf province and Ta’iz, killed 22 Houthis and 11 pro-government forces, according to military officials. Eight of the pro-government casualties were killed by friendly fire from a Saudi-led airstrike that missed its target.

Saturday, June 25 Former president Ali Abdullah Saleh spoke to constituents and reporters about the ongoing war, the peace talks in Kuwait, and the role of foreign powers in Yemen’s conflict. Following reports that Riyadh has been proposed as the location for the signing of a peace deal between Yemen’s government-in-exile and the Houthis, Saleh claimed that the GPC will never travel to Saudi Arabia, even if it means that the war will continue for decades. This is despite the fact that many GPC members have resided in Saudi Arabia since the beginning of the war.

Sunday, June 26 Saudi-led airstrikes killed at least seven people in Yemen on Sunday, according to residents. Two women died in an airstrike on a home located between the provinces of Ta’iz and Lahj, and five were killed in Khawlan, southeast of San’a. It is unclear if the casualties from the Khawlan strike were civilians.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said "serious violations" have been committed in Yemen’s current ceasefire, and called on warring parties to reach a peace deal before the conflict claims more casualties.

"Whilst the cessation of hostilities is mostly holding, there have been serious violations, causing further casualties and suffering among the civilian population, including children." 

Ban added that time is not on Yemen’s side, saying that, "There is an alarming scarcity of basic food items. The economy is in precarious condition.”

June 13-19: Mass prisoner swap in Ta'iz, UAE wavers on ending war

Monday, June 13A suspected US drone strike in central Shabwa province killed three alleged Al-Qaeda fighters, according to Yemeni security officials. The officials also said that UAE and Saudi forces were simultaneously conducting raids on homes of suspected al-Qaeda operatives in Mukalla and reportedly detained 150 suspects.

Tuesday, June 14 Due to the ongoing intense fighting in Ta’iz, medical facilities run by Medecins Sans Frontieres have reportedly treated 1,624 people, including over 700 civilians, since the ceasefire began in April.

Will Turner, MSF head of mission, recalled seeing in an MSF emergency room “two young children lying in beds next to each other. The boy had been hit by a bullet in the neck as he left the mosque; the girl next to him had her stomach ripped open by a bullet as she waited to collect water.” Turner added that “Such tragic stories occur on a daily basis in Ta’iz. This is totally unacceptable.”

Saudi Ambassador Abdallah Al-Mouallimi sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon requesting the sources that were used to create the report that initially listed the Saudi-led coalition as being responsible for the majority of child casualties in Yemen during the last year.

“Mouallimi's letter to Ban expressed ‘his sincere appreciation for the removal’ of the coalition from the blacklist and reaffirmed what he said was its respect for, and compliance with, international humanitarian and human rights law.”

UN officials said they did not believe it was possible to disclose sources used to create the report, but human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law by the coalition, including the targeting of schools and hospitals and indiscriminate bombing of residential areas, have been documented by a number of humanitarian organizations.

Wednesday, June 15 According to a tweet by Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash had given a speech saying the “war [in Yemen] is over for our troops.”

The Arabic version of the same quote said that the war was over “for practical purposes.”

Yemeni security officials also reported on Wednesday that fighting between the Houthis and pro-government forces around Ta’iz and in Shabwa, Jawf, and Marib provinces killed at least 48 people and wounded 65 in the previous day.

The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs released Yemen’s health overview for 2016. The report states that at least 50% of the country’s health facilities are not functioning properly or at all and only 30% of necessary medical supplies are being allowed to enter Yemen. The war is also disproportionately affecting pregnant women, people suffering from chronic diseases, and children under five (whose mortality rate has increased by 23% since the start of the conflict).

Of the $182.3 million in aid money that the UNOCHA needs immediately to assist victims of the conflict, only 16% has been funded.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric rejected the Saudi-led coalition’s request to view the sources of information used in the report on violations of children's rights during armed conflicts, which charged the coalition as being responsible for the majority of child deaths in Yemen in the past year.

"Protecting the sources of information that are used in this report, or any other report, is paramount, especially in a conflict area," Dujarric said. "But we obviously welcome any information that the Saudi-led coalition may want to share with us."

Thursday, June 16 The US House failed to pass a measure that would have banned the transfer of cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia. The vote was close, however, indicating a decrease in support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.

The White House placed a hold last month on a transfer of CBU-105 cluster bombs, but a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.), is trying to place a complete arms embargo on the kingdom until it stops deliberately targeting civilians in Yemen.

Friday, June 17 UAE Foreign Minister Gargash denied saying that the war in Yemen is over for UAE troops. Gargash later claimed that his statement, which was posted on Twitter by Deputy Supreme Commander of UAE forces and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed, was “taken out of context and misinterpreted for external agenda that seek to undermine the region and the GCC in particular.”

The US military is extending the deployment of anti-terrorism special forces units in Yemen for the foreseeable future. US officials said the team of about a dozen men, who were first deployed in April, would assist troops from the UAE in fighting Al-Qaeda around Mukalla.

Saturday, June 18 Nearly 200 prisoners were swapped in Ta’iz--118 Houthis exchanged for 76 pro-government fighters--in what is reportedly the largest swap to take place in the city since the beginning of the war. Like prior prisoner exchanges, it was arranged by local groups, not high-level officials in Kuwait.

June 6-12: Saudi coalition removed from blacklist, shelling continues in Ta'iz

Monday, June 6According to UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, Yemen's warring parties agreed to the unconditional release of all child prisoners. There was no immediate word on how many children are held prisoner by either side. The announcement comes following the UN's annual report on children and armed combat, which detailed abuses by all sides of Yemen's conflict. The parties have so far failed to reach an agreement on a wider prisoner release for the month of Ramadan.

Saudi Arabia unleashed harsh criticism of the UN following the inclusion of the kingdom in an annual report on children in armed combat, which named the Saudi-led coalition as the side responsible for most of the child casualties in Yemen in the past year. Saudi coalition spokesman Brigadier General Ahmed al-Asiri said that the findings were based on inadequate evidence supplied by Saudi Arabia’s adversaries.

Medecins Sans Frontieres reported that its hospitals in Ta’iz received 122 people on June 3 alone following intense fighting and continuous shelling in the war-torn city.

Tuesday, June 7 Following protests by Saudi officials of the UN’s decision to blacklist the coalition in Yemen, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon removed Riyadh from the report. The UN said it would carry out a review of the accusations, but the Saudi envoy to the UN called the decision “final.”

The reversal was a result of Saudi Arabia threatening to sever ties with the UN and withdraw hundreds of millions of dollars in humanitarian assistance and counterterrorism programs.

Human rights groups condemned the removal of the Saudi-led coalition from the report, with Amnesty International saying it is “unconscionable that this pressure was brought to bear by one of the very states listed in the report,” while Human Rights Watch accused the UN of “capitulating to the demands of Saudi Arabia,” adding that the move “undermines Ban’s human rights initiatives and taints his legacy.”

Also on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia reportedly released 54 child prisoners between the ages of 8 and 17 to Yemen government forces. The children were captured during fighting with the Houthis. The move is intended to show that Yemen’s government and the Saudi-led military coalition “reject the Houthi crime of using children in war.”

Wednesday, June 8 Yemen was named in the 2016 Global Peace Index as the country that experienced the most rapid decline in peacefulness within the past year. Although it still ranks higher than Syria, which is at the bottom of the list, Yemen’s peacefulness was estimated to have dropped 15% within one year, more than any other nation.

The report found Yemen had suffered its biggest losses as a result of increases in death from conflict and “a massive rise in the number of refugees and internally-displaced people.”

Thursday, June 9 Commenting on the removal of the Saudi-led coalition from the UN blacklist, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he had to consider “the very real prospect that millions of other children would suffer grievously if, as was suggested to me, countries would defund many U.N. programs.”

The programs that would have been impacted include humanitarian assistance in South Sudan, the Palestinian territories, and Syria.

Mr. Ban said he stood by the annual report’s conclusions, but added that, “it is unacceptable for member states to exert undue pressure. Scrutiny is a natural and necessary part of the work of the United Nations.”

Friday, June 10 A Reuters report outlines the essential policies implemented by the Central Bank of Yemen, and its governor Mohammed Bin Humam, that have saved the country from total financial collapse.

"The CBY represents the last bastion of the financial system in the impoverished country and is effectively running the economy, according to central bank officials, foreign diplomats and Yemeni political sources on both sides of the war."

Despite the bank’s best efforts and practices, Yemen’s exports have ceased and it is running critically low on foreign exchange reserves.

The UN human rights office condemned a week of rocket and mortar attacks on markets and residential areas in Ta’iz that resulted in the death of 18, including seven children, and injured 68 others.

“All victims belonged to a marginalized community, the Muhamasheen, and had taken refuge in the school after having been forced to flee their homes due to ongoing violence,” the spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said.

Saturday, June 11 A short piece by Al Jazeera highlights the “immeasurable” crisis that Yemenis are facing during the holy month of Ramadan. With high temperatures and scarce electricity, along with a lack of food and water, Yemenis are fasting under extremely difficult circumstances.

“‘This could be the worst year in the history of Yemen, especially with the start of the holy month of Ramadan,’ Abdesalam al-Mahtoury, an economic analyst, said.”

May 30-June 5: Dozens of prisoners exchanged, Ta'iz market struck by Houthi shelling

Monday, May 30Saudi Arabia reportedly intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired from Yemen, prompting the Saudi-led military coalition to issue a statement late on Monday saying it may be forced to reconsider the ceasefire.

Saudi state news agency SPA did not provide any details on the target or the type of missile used, but said that the missile was destroyed in mid-air. The agency added that the Saudi-led coalition warned it would not sit idle against any further violations of the truce, which began on April 10.

"The coalition command, through this statement, assert that violating the truce by the Houthi militia and its supporters and the targeting of the kingdom's lands ... would force the coalition to reconsider the feasibility of this policy (of self restraint)," SPA said.

UN Special Envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed held bilateral meetings with the Houthi and Hadi government delegations Monday, emphasizing afterwards that violations of the Cessation of Hostilities are unacceptable. He added that economic decline, water and electricity shortages should motivate the parties to redouble their efforts towards reaching a comprehensive and peaceful solution. He said that political bickering will only complicate issues and only a political solution will help resolve them.

Tuesday, May 31 According to Yemeni media reports, Ma'reb Press website correspondent Abdallah Azizan was killed on 29 May while covering clashes between Houthi rebels and pro-government forces in Bayhan. A tally by Reporters Without Borders lists Azizan as the fifth journalist to be killed since the start of the year in Yemen. Ten other journalists detained by the Houthis have reportedly been moved to an undisclosed location after being held for nearly a year. These journalists began a hunger strike on May 9.

Wednesday, June 1 Pro-government Popular Resistance fighters reportedly freed 19 Houthi prisoners in exchange for 16 of their fighters. The prisoner swap took place after Yemeni government officials and rebels agreed on Tuesday to free half of the prisoners and detainees held by both sides within 20 days.

US Secretary of State John Kerry sat down with MSNBC’s Chris Hayes to speak about the US-backed Saudi-led war in Yemen. Kerry claims that the Saudis are making certain that they are acting responsibly and not endangering civilians in Yemen, while the Houthis “have a practiced way of putting civilians into danger.”

Thursday, June 2 The United Nations has added Saudi Arabia to its annual blacklist of states and armed groups that violate children's rights during conflict. The coalition was responsible for 60 percent of child deaths and injuries last year, killing 510 and wounding 667, according to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's report. It also states that the coalition carried out half of the attacks that have struck Yemen's schools and hospitals. Ban noted that the Houthis are responsible for a fifth of child casualties in Yemen.

"In Yemen, owing to the very large number of violations attributed to the two parties, the Houthis/Ansar Allah and the Saudi Arabia-led coalition are listed for killing and maiming and attacks on schools and hospitals," Ban said.

The Houthis, Yemen government forces, and pro-government militia have been on the UN blacklist for at least five years.

Human Rights Watch also called on parties to the conflict in Yemen to release captured children and make a commitment to not re-enlist child soldiers. Houthi forces, government and pro-government forces, and extremist armed groups have used child soldiers, who are an estimated one-third of the fighters in Yemen.

“All parties should ensure that children, who never should have been on the battlefield in the first place, are released during this prisoner exchange and demobilized,” said Bill Van Esveld, senior children’s rights researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Both sides should stop recruiting and placing children in danger and return them immediately to their families.”

Friday, June 3 At least 17 civilians, including 10 women and a young girl, were killed and 30 others injured when Houthi rockets targeted a busy market in Ta’iz, where residents were shopping in preparation for Ramadan.

Saturday, June 4 UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned Friday’s attacks in Ta’iz, which were carried out with heavy weapons, including rockets, mortars, and artillery.

“The UN chief underscored to all parties that targeting civilian areas is a violation of international humanitarian law and urged them to fully respect their obligations in this regard. Mr. Ban also called for an independent investigation to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable.”

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has retracted a previous statement that threatened to target the homes of officers participating in the war against them. The original statement had warned the officers to remove women and children from their homes, as AQAP considers the houses legitimate targets. AQAP now says that statement was a mistake that doesn’t reflect their policies, but added that it was “in response to the bombings of Muslims’ homes in recent months by planes and helicopters, resulting in the deaths of women and children, and spreading fear.”

The retraction is likely another attempt by AQAP to appear to locals as an organization that prioritizes the safety of citizens and is capable of governing.