Saturday, April 13

For the first time since the war began, Yemen’s parliament held a session with a quorum of members participating; President Hadi was in attendance. The purpose of this session was to fill parliamentary positions and focus on ways to combat the Houthis. However, this is difficult as elections have not been held since 2009, and many pre-war parliamentarians remain in San’a, where the Houthi administration also claims the support of the legislature. It is unlikely that this parliament will make any significant contribution to the peace process.

Sunday, April 14

The Washington Post is reporting that the Islamic State and al-Qaeda are in a deadly contest for territory, recruits, and influence in Yemen. Clashes are occurring and fighting has escalated in central Baydha province between Yemeni tribal forces that are aligned with the two groups. Elisabeth Kendall, a Yemen expert at Oxford University, states that the feud is “linked to local territorial and power rivalries.”

Monday, April 15

It is reported that French weapons “may have been used to commit war crimes” in Yemen by the Saudi-led coalition. France has previously said that French-made weapons were only used defensively, but they have not responded to these  specific allegations yet. Moreover, Amnesty International is urging France to immediately suspend all arms transfers to Yemen.

Friday, April 5

The Saudi ambassador to the UN is calling on the UN Security Council to “disarm” Houthi militias, citing the Houthis’ stockpile of missiles and drones, and the incident last week in which two Houthi drones were intercepted over the kingdom.

Saturday, April 6

Al Jazeera reports on the cholera epidemic that has made a resurgence and has killed at least 300 people since the beginning of the outbreak. Last month more 76,000 suspected cases were registered. The UN believes this outbreak could be as bad as the one in 2017 that killed more than 3,000 people. Treatment is limited and prices of medication are high. Cholera is spread primarily through polluted food and water, and the conflict only exacerbates the problem. The feature states that it is likely the disease will be contained only when the war ends and reconstruction begins.

Southern news outlet Aden al-Ghad reports clashes between Houthi militias and the pro-government Giants Brigade outside the city of Ta’iz.

Houthi shelling in al-Tuhayta directorate of Hudaydah province killed seven and wounded seventeen people, reports Aden al-Ghad.

Friday, March 29

In an interview with The Guardian, Mohamed Ali al-Houthi criticized UK Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt for pressuring Germany to end its ban on arms sales to Saudi Arabia, saying that the UK can not be a peace-broker and an arms seller. German parties have reached a compromise that will extend the ban for another six months, while allowing German firms to fulfill existing contracts with other European arms makers.

Aden al-Ghad reports that a Southern Yemeni women’s group, Southern Women for Southern Independence, sent a letter to the UN. The letter expressed the group’s objections to not having been included in the recent Yemeni Women’s Conference entitled “Mediators for Peace,” organized by UN Women in Amman, Jordan.

Saturday, March 30

SPA reports that government forces “besieged” areas in southeast Ta’iz, and “liberated” areas in al-Aqrud from the Houthis.

Sunday, March 31

In a letter to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Anwar Gargash rejects a report by the Group of Eminent experts on Yemen and instead believes that the Human Rights Council should refocus efforts on supporting Yemen’s government. The UAE is responsible for the abduction, torture, and murder of Yemeni civilians in their network of extralegal prisons in the south, as well as for war crimes associated with the coalition’s air campaign.

Friday, March 22

The warring parties in Yemen have arbitrarily and illegally detained or disappeared thousands of civilians. The government and the Houthis agreed in principle to a prisoner swap last year in Stockholm, but the process has been stalled. In a feature by Al Jazeera, family members of detainees are calling for the prisoner swaps to finally materialize.

In regard to Germany’s arms embargo on Saudi Arabia, Chancellor Angela Merkel remarked that Germany risked being seen as “an unreliable defense partner” if the embargo is extended. France and Britain, who continue arms sales to Saudi Arabia, rely on German parts and are also being affected by the embargo.

A report found that in areas of conflict, diarrhea and other diseases related to poor sanitation caused more deaths than violence from the conflict itself. Access to clean water sources has become increasingly rare throughout Yemen, and specifically in active conflict zones, where warring parties frequently destroy or restrict access to supplies.   

Saturday, March 23

The Saudi-led coalition launched attacks on Houthi camps in San’a. The raids were intended to target the rebels’ stockpile of drones.

Sunday, March 24

Protesters gathered at the UN headquarters in Geneva to bring attention to conflict between the Houthis and civilians in Hajjah. The protesters urged the international community to put more pressure on the Houthis.

Monday, March 25

Overnight clashes in Hudaydah were the heaviest the port city has seen since the beginning of the local ceasefire. This comes as the UN observer team chief was expected to convene both sides in order to launch newly agreed-upon steps towards disengagement.

The Saudi-led coalition and the UN have signed an agreement to reinforce the protection of children in Yemen. The agreement will focus on preventive action and services for child survivors. Moreover, there will be a commitment by the coalition to improve protections of children.

There is a sharp increase in the number of suspected cholera cases, which are likely due to early rains. Moreover, deteriorating conditions, poor maintenance of sewage disposal, and the use of contaminated water are exacerbating the problem. The recent spike is concentrated in six provinces, including Hudaydah and San’a.

In a letter to UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, opposition leaders from the Labour Party, SNP, Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru, and the Green Party challenged the UK’s arms sales to the Saudi-led coalition. The joint letter states that the government is profiting off of the conflict through their arms sales.

SPA reports that Yemen’s economy lost close to $50 billion over the course of the war. In the last five years, growth was negative in all sectors and economic activity declined. Losses do not include the destruction of infrastructure.

In southern Yemen, Al-Khaleej Online reports that al-Rayyan International Airport in Mukalla, Hadhramawt has not reopened due to the UAE’s desire to maintain a military headquarters within it. The UAE are accused of exploiting the airport and using it as a secret prison. The airport remained closed after al-Qaeda militants were expelled from the area.

The  rivalry between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over the island of Socotra is back in the news. Socotra is of strategic importance because it is located at the entrance of the Gulf of Aden, which leads to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which is an important shipping lane. Critics of the UAE saw their previous involvement on the island as an attempt to occupy it.

Clashes were reported today by al-Masdar Online between AQAP and IS in the Yakla area of al-Baydha province. According to the article, AQAP members supported by local tribesmen seized weapons, military equipment and funds from IS and freed thirty soldiers loyal to the Hadi government during the fighting.  

According to al-Masdar Online, the Abu al-Abbas brigades in Ta’iz, which have ties to AQAP and receive funding and equipment from the UAE, closed a number of streets in the Old City today. The militia has been fighting rival fighting groups, including those affiliated with the Islah Party, since helping to liberate parts of the city from the Houthis. The governor of Ta’iz recently announced his intention to disarm unaccountable militias, which has exacerbated local fighting.

Tuesday, March 26

Twenty detainees held without charges in Mukalla, Hadhramawt Governorate were acquitted and released without trials after protests by the detainees’ families.

Ghalib Sultan, Ta’iz’s Islah party leader, was photographed with Yahya al-Houthi at a Houthi rally in San’a.

Houthi media reports pro-Houthi demonstrations in Ta’iz and Sa’dah today, on the anniversary of the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen. Today is the fourth anniversary of Saudi-led intervention in the war.

Al-Masdar Online reports that Houthi forces are indiscriminately shelling civilian areas in the district of Qarishiyah, al-Baydha province.

Wednesday, March 27

The UAE is supporting local forces to counter al-Qaeda militants in Shabwah province, as part of a campaign called “White Mountains.”

A hospital supported by Save the Children in northern Yemen was hit in an airstrike. The strike, which was carried out by the Saudi-led coalition, killed at least seven people, five of which were children.

The Labour Party wants clarification on the UK’s role in Yemen following a report that British special forces soldiers were involved on the ground.

Al Jazeera reports that the majority of Yemenis can not afford healthcare, and even when money is available there are not enough supplies. The war has destroyed half of Yemen’s hospitals and clinics. This has contributed to many Yemenis dying in their homes without treatment.

Thursday, March 28

A spokesman for the US State Department is calling for a transparent investigation into the airstrike that killed seven people including four children at a hospital in a rural area about sixty miles from Sa’dah.

The UN special envoy to Yemen believes that withdrawal from Hudaydah will occur, it will just be a slow process. Martin Griffiths stated that the number of casualties in the port has decreased by fifty percent since the ceasefire came into effect. Civilian casualties elsewhere in Yemen have increased.

Friday, March 8

People are protesting for a fourth day in Aden after Raafat Danbaa, who allegedly witnessed the rape of a seven-year-old boy by UAE-backed fighters, was found dead. The Yemeni government has set up a committee to investigate his death. The UAE has faced numerous accusations of various human rights abuses since taking control of southern Yemen.

In the al-Durayhimi area of Hudaydah, fighting broke out between Houthi and coalition forces. A coalition officer reported that the Houthis prompted the attack and that this was the second attack in 24 hours. Sporadic fighting has taken place since the Stockholm agreement, preventing the successful withdrawal of forces from Hudaydah.

Saudi Arabia shot down a drone that was flying over the kingdom. The Saudi-led coalition accused the Houthis of launching the drone and using it to target civilians.

Sunday, March 10

UNICEF says it has started paying over 136,000 teachers and school staff in Yemen. UNICEF believes an estimated 3.7 million children will benefit from this as 2 million out of 7 million school-aged children are already out of school because of the conflict and economic crisis.

Monday, March 11

Pro-Hadi news source Yemen Now tweeted on the Hadi government’s displeasure with the UN’s perceived silence concerning Houthi attacks on civilians in Hajjah province.

The Women’s Solidarity Network posted a statement on their Facebook page calling for humanitarian action in response to the intensification of conflict in the areas of Yemen not covered by the Stockholm agreements, such as the Kushar district of Hajjah.

There have been over 5,000 cases of child recruitment since the beginning of the conflict, according to a non-government source. The article also states that around 4 million children have been prevented from receiving an education due to the destruction of schools and infrastructure during the conflict.

Al-Masdar Online discusses water access issues in the city of Ta’iz. This article, citing a report from Al Jazeera, states that Houthi forces control the city’s main source of water east of Ta’iz and have been restricting access to water as part of a siege on the city. Meanwhile, qat farmers to the west of Ta’iz require large amounts of water for their fields and use a significant portion of the available water resources, leaving little for the city’s residents.

Aden al-Ghad reports that all communication systems in the Hajur tribal area have been cut off by the Houthis. This action was followed by two days of large-scale destruction of civilian homes in the area, according to journalist Faisal al-Shababi.

Tuesday, March 12

A prominent Yemeni Baha’i leader, Hamed bin Haydara, was sentenced to death in a Houthi court for espionage and apostasy charges. The international community is concerned that the Houthis are purposely targeting the religious minority group. Over 100 Baha’is are being held on false charges.

Twelve children and ten women were killed following Saudi-led airstrikes in Hajjah Governorate, while thirty people were injured. The strikes were intended to target Houthi forces attacking tribal fighters and civilians in the area.

A UN humanitarian agency has stated that Hajjah province has become another flashpoint in the country’s civil war. The district of Kushar in Hajjah province is only 31 miles from the Saudi border. The ongoing fighting has trapped civilians between the warring parties and the number of displaced people has doubled in the past six months.

The UN Security Council is urging Yemen’s warring parties to implement the peace deal in Hudaydah. The five permanent members released a statement saying they were “extremely concerned” that the agreement in Stockholm had not been implemented.

Al-Masdar Online reports that clashes erupted Sunday evening between tribal gunmen and Saudi forces in al-Mahrah province. Tribal elements in the area reportedly oppose the Saudi military presence in the province.

Baseem al-Jenani reports on continued shelling by the Houthis in Hudaydah, which continue to hinder the progress of Stockholm agreement implementations.

Aden 24 reports that Saudi-funded mine removal teams removed over 2,000 mines and pieces of unexploded ordnance in the first week of March.

Wednesday, March 13

The Senate passed S.J.Res.7, a war powers measure to end US military participation in the war in Yemen. The measure will now go to the House, where a similar piece of legislation passed last month. President Trump has promised to veto S.J.Res.7 if it passes the House as expected.

The Yemeni government has accused the Houthis of committing “acts of genocide” against civilians in Hajjah province. Yemen’s information minister states that the Houthis are using heavy weaponry, including ballistic missiles, to target civilian homes. The fighting has persisted for more than a month and thousands of civilians are unable to flee and lack access to basic necessities.

Amnesty International reports that several children have been sexually abused in the city of Ta'iz over the past eight months. Some of these crimes were committed by members of a coalition-backed, pro-Islah militia. The report calls on the Yemeni government to investigate these crimes and to protect the children and their families from militia retaliation.

Thursday, March 14

TeleYemen, Yemen’s largest telecommunications company, has relocated to Aden and is back under the government’s control. TeleYemen was previously headquartered in San’a, which gave the Houthis exclusive rights to provide international communications access. According to the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information, private telecommunications companies operating out of San’a are indirectly financing the Houthis’ war efforts through taxes. Between 2014 and 2017 the Houthis received $2 billion from telecommunication companies. The ministry is taking action to combat this.

Al-Masdar Online discusses the disconnect between the Central Bank of Yemen recognized by the international community, located in government-controlled Aden, and the San’a-based Central Bank that has fallen under Houthi control since their takeover of the city. While the official headquarters of the Central Bank was moved to Aden by the Hadi government in 2016, the San’a-based banking system now controlled by the Houthis continues to function, controlling currency exchange points and ATMs, often under policies which conflict with those instituted by the government in Aden. The article illuminates how this discrepancy contributes to the instability of the Yemeni financial system.

An article from al-Masdar Online discusses a protest today by the Mothers of Abductees Association in Ibb province. The protest was held to draw attention to the practice of blackmailing abductees’ families by Houthi militias in the area.

Friday, February 22

Yemen’s Ministry of Culture provided the government’s first official account of lost cultural property and artifacts since the war began. The government accuses Houthi rebels of smuggling stolen antiquities out of the country and selling them on the black market. Further, many documents and manuscripts have been destroyed and are missing, and some historical sites are under great threat. The government’s account only places blame on the Houthis for the destruction of Yemen’s cultural heritage, despite the fact that the Saudi-led coalition is known to have damaged or destroyed a number of cultural sites in airstrikes.

UNICEF Yemen reports that over 2 million children in Yemen are now out of school. Many schools across Yemen have been damaged or occupied by armed forces, or used to house displaced people. Teachers--like many civil servants--have gone without salaries for much of the war’s duration.

Earlier this month CNN released a report that stated that Saudi Arabia and The United Arab Emirates had transferred US weapons to unaccountable militias. On Thursday, presidential candidate Senator Elizabeth Warren issued a letter with questions about the suspected arms transfer to acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Warren believes addressing the diversion of US weapons is crucial to holding partners accountable and protecting national security.

Houthi militias attacked the Yahiya tribe in Hajjah province today, according to al-Masdar Online

Saturday, February 23

The UAE backed Security Belt Forces took control of an al-Qaeda training base in Abyan Governorate. Abyan has a reputation as a stronghold for AQAP. On Friday night a military campaign to remove al-Qaeda from Aumaran valley was launched. Thus far, the Security Belt Forces claim to have driven AQAP fighters out of Hadhramawt, large portions of Shabwah, and “90%” of Abyan.

Clashes were reported between Security Belt Forces and al-Qaeda in a number of valleys in al-Mawdiah district, according to southern news outlet Aden al-Ghad.

Sunday, February 24

The Houthis are scheduled to withdraw troops from the ports of Saleef, used for grain, and Ras Isa, an oil terminal, on Monday as the first step in the UN-brokered deal. The second step, Houthi withdrawal from al-Hudaydah Port and a pull-back by coalition forces, will take place at a later time. Successful implementation of the deal is crucial to averting a renewed offensive by UAE-led forces, and guaranteeing commercial and humanitarian access to the ports.

Fighting between the Houthis and Yemeni tribes in Hajjah has intensified. Tribal sources confirm that 45 Houthi fighters have died as a result of the fighting.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and hosts Sweden and Switzerland will convene a pledging conference for the humanitarian response in Yemen. The UN is seeking international support for the 80% of the Yemeni population in need humanitarian assistance. In December the UN asked for $4.2 billion for Yemen. The World Food Program aims to help 12 million people a month in 2019 and will need $1.5 billion.

British Prime Minister Theresa May says the UK will pledge £200 million in aid to Yemen, but that their arms policy toward Saudi Arabia would not change. This comes after recent criticism of Britain’s arms exports to Saudi Arabia.  

Pro-government news site Yemen Now tweeted that a Houthi missile attack in Sa’dah killed and wounded more than 70 civilians.

Monday, February 25

H.J.Res.37 was expected to be considered by the Senate this week. However, Republican leadership has “de-privileged” the resolution, which means that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) will not allow a vote on the legislation despite its passage in the House.

Human Rights Watch says that Qatar is threatening to expel a Yemeni national without considering his claim for asylum. The Yemeni national should qualify for asylum under Qatari law. However, for Qatar’s asylum law to go in to effect, a Committee for Political Asylee Affairs needs to be created, but there is no timeline for when this will be.

President Trump announced on Twitter that Danny Burch, and US citizen who had been held hostage in Yemen for 18 months, had been freed with the help of the UAE. Burch worked for the Yemeni Safer oil company at the time he was abducted.

Al-Masdar Online reports that according to human rights sources in Hajjah province, 105 civilians were killed in Houthi attacks on the Hajur tribes in Hajjah over the past month.

Tuesday, February 26

For the first time in six months, UN aid officials have been able to reach the Red Sea Mills, which holds a vital grain supply. Although this is a major breakthrough, the UN needs sustained access, which will come from progress in the implementation of the Stockholm Agreement.

In response to the decision on Monday that deemed H.J.Res.37 “de-privileged,” Senator Bernie Sanders is moving ahead with a plan to discharge S.J.Res.7, the same resolution that passed in the Senate in December. The bill has already been deemed privileged, and is identical to the pre-amendment version of H.J.Res.37. If the resolution can pass in the Senate a second time, House Democrats may still have trouble preventing another round of amendments.

It is believed that thousands of civilians are besieged and more than 100 inhabitants have died as a result of the ongoing fighting between the Houthis and local fighters led by tribal leaders in the Hajur area of Hajjah province. The Houthis have had control of Hajjah since they seized San’a in 2014. Residents in Hajur do not have access to medical treatment, food, or other essentials. The coalition has not intervened directly, but air dropped medicine, food, and weapons for the first time last Tuesday. However, residents say the supplies were only for fighters and that it was not enough to help them win.

The United Nations pledging conference for the humanitarian crisis in Yemen raised $2.6 billion of its $4 billion goal. Saudi Arabia and the UAE, primary actors in the conflict, pledged $500 million each. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated, however, that the humanitarian response will not be enough the end the crisis and that peace negotiations between the warring sides are needed.

Although phase one of the UN-brokered deal to withdraw from Hudaydah was agreed upon, implementation of the deal seems to have stalled. Mistrust remains an obstacle for the successful implementation of the deal.

After the Trump administration failed to meet the deadline invoked by the Magnitsky act, which required a verdict on whether or not the White House believed the Saudi regime has committed human rights violations, a group of US senators introduced legislation that would require the Director of National Intelligence to submit a public report on the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi.

A number of Houthi fighters, including an explosives expert, were killed by the popular resistance movement in al-Bayda province. The popular resistance is a term used to refer to local/tribal forces that have allied with the Hadi government in opposition to the Houthis.

Wednesday, February 27

Journalists have gathered evidence that German weapons are being used by the Saudi-led coalition despite Germany’s ban on arms sales to Saudi Arabia. During a press conference, the spokeswoman for Chancellor Angela Merkel refused to comment on the new reports and only repeated Germany’s current policy on arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

The UN Security Council authorized a one-year extension of the sanctions imposed on entities threatening peace, security, and stability in Yemen by Resolution 2140, which has been in place since February of 2014. The latest resolution also renews the provisions of an arms embargo imposed against the Houthis in 2015.

A feature by Al Jazeera highlighted Yemen’s water scarcity,  as around 20 million Yemenis do not have access to water because of the war and preexisting challenges. Yemenis contend with depleted wells, contaminated water, and inability to access aid. Therefore millions of Yemenis are left spending many hours of the day searching for clean drinking water.

Thursday, February 28

After more than two years, the government has paid the salaries of more than 30,000 state employees in Hudaydah.

British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt will travel to Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE to hold talks on the conflict in Yemen. Hunt plans to meet with both Houthi and coalition officials.

The Houthis blew up thirteen houses in Hajjah province and executed a man in the city of Ta’iz yesterday, according to Aden al-Ghad.

Friday, March 1

Representatives Lieu (D-CA) and Malinowski (D-NJ) have sent a letter to Secretary of State Pompeo, co-signed by 11 other members of Congress, demanding an investigation into reports that Saudi Arabia has recruited and deployed Sudanese children to fight in Yemen. US law prohibits the provision of military assistance to states that recruit minors to fight. The White House generally issues waivers for some countries known to violate international laws on child soldiers, including Yemen, but it has not granted a waiver to Saudi Arabia since the war in Yemen began.

Friday, February 8

Morocco recalled its ambassador to Saudi Arabia and has withdrawn from the Saudi-led coalition. Saudi Arabia broadcasted a documentary calling Western Sahara “occupied” by Morocco after Morocco’s minister of foreign affairs told Al Jazeera that Morocco’s participation in the Yemen war had changed due to humanitarian reasons. Ties between the two nations have deteriorated since the rise of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the worsening of the conflict in Yemen.

Saudi state TV reports that the Saudi-led coalition has launched a “targeting operation”--an apparent euphemism for airstrikes--in San’a. The target location was allegedly an area for storing and preparing drones and launch vehicles.

The World Health Organization says 35,000 Yemenis have cancer and 11,000 are diagnosed every year. However, cancer clinics have been been closing, and attaining access to healthcare is becoming increasingly difficult.

Saturday, February 9

The Trump administration did not meet the Friday deadline to report to the Senate on whether or not the White House believed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman ordered the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.

Sunday, February 10

The Hadi government hopes to escalate its crude oil production to 110,000 barrels per day in 2019, with exports reaching about 75,000 bpd, its oil minister reported. In 2018, Yemen produced an average of 50,000 bpd. The oil minister also reported that Yemen wanted to resume production of liquid natural gas.

Monday, February 11

The UN reports that the grain stored in the Red Sea Mills silos in Hudaydah is at risk of rotting. Aid workers have not had access to the Red Sea Mills facility for five months due to coalition military operations and Houthi landmines, and the urgency of accessing the grain grows every day.

Fighting between government forces and Houthi rebels in Yemen’s southern province of al-Dhali’ has continued for a third day. The fighting was prompted after the Houthis destroyed the house of the tribal sheikh Abdul Jaleel Al Hothaiyfi for allegedly working with the Saudi-led coalition.

Fighting has also escalated in the northern province of Hajjah between the Houthis and the Hajoor tribe, worsening the humanitarian situation there. According to local observers, additional forces from a neighboring tribe have entered that conflict on the side of Hajoor.

The Trump Administration threatened to veto the re-introduction of the war powers resolution, H.J.Res.37, which would end US military support for the Saudi-led coalition, should it pass in both houses of Congress.

Tuesday, February 12

Al-Masdar Online reports that the UAE-backed Abu al-Abbas Brigade, kidnapped a human rights activist, Abu Baker al-Breiky, in Ta’iz governorate and handed him over to UAE forces in Aden. The UAE and its proxies have kidnapped, detained, and tortured hundreds of civilians in southern Yemen since 2015.

Wednesday, February 13

The House of Representatives voted to end American military assistance for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. The House resolution, H.J.Res.37, invokes the 1973 War Powers Act, which gives Congress the ability to restrict military deployments undertaken without a formal declaration of war. The Senate is expected to vote within the next month.  H.J.Res.37 included an amendment introduced by Representative Buck (R-CO) that ensures that the US may continue intelligence collection, analysis, and sharing operations with other nations.

The Trump Administration will not certify to Congress that the Saudi-led coalition is attempting to reduce civilian casualties. Previously the State Department validated that the coalition had made a “good faith effort” to reduce civilian casualties, which allowed the United States to continue refueling operations. The certification, which was clearly at odds with evidence collected by observers on the ground, was a requirement imposed by lawmakers via the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act.

UK Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt says that saving Yemen’s ceasefire has “a shortening window of opportunity.” The US, UK, UAE, and Saudi Arabia will discuss Yemen on the sidelines of a summit in Warsaw, possibly focusing on an initiative to inject money into Yemen’s central bank.

In Riyadh, the Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT) concluded in its most recent round of investigations that coalition military operations in Yemen followed procedures that were proper and safe, and acted in accordance with international humanitarian law. JIAT, the coalition’s internal investigation mechanism, has been criticized since the start of the war by experts and human rights groups for whitewashing illegal actions by coalition forces.

Thursday, February 14

Robert Malley, a key advisor on the Middle East under the Obama Administration and now president and CEO of the International Crisis Group, told TRT World that the Obama Administration gave too much support to partner Saudi Arabia and that military support should have been scaled back much sooner. In response to H.J.Res.37, Malley stated that the US needs to find ways to minimize civilian casualties when drawn into conflict.

Fatima Qoba is a displaced 12 year old girl who was carried into a Yemeni malnutrition clinic at 10kg (22 lbs). Fatima’s situation is the latest example of the crisis occurring in Yemen with around 10 million people on the brink of famine. A doctor at the clinic told reporters about the problem of severely malnourished pregnant women who are expected to give birth to underweight children.

Houthi media reports that coalition airstrikes targeted a group of fishermen today in Hudaydah governorate. MSF confirmed that a local hospital treated several fishermen for injuries sustained in the attack.

Friday, February 1

The Daily Beast interviewed two ex-detainees who were held in the UAE’s prisons in southern Yemen. The report indicates that there was American involvement in the torture that occurred in the prisons. The Pentagon acknowledge that US military personnel operate in the prisons, but deny any knowledge of torture or abuse.

European representative for Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council, Ahmed bin Fareed, believes the inclusion of the South is crucial to peace talks. Citing the central role of Southern forces in the fight against the Houthis, Fareed writes that “without genuine inclusion and participation of all key legitimate actors, it is inconceivable that our constituency would accept the terms of a settlement that excludes them.”

Yemenis on social media are calling for justice after the Houthis sentenced Asmaa al-Omeissy and two others to death, in addition to being detained and tortured, because of their alleged association with the coalition. Amnesty International states that the Houthis are using the judiciary to settle political scores.

Sunday, February 3

Al-Masdar Online reports that a civilian was killed by Houthi shelling today in southern Hudaydah governorate. Additionally, two women and two children were killed by Houthi shelling of an IDP camp today in Hajjah governorate; the report states that this is the second attack by the group on this camp.

Monday, February 4

An outbreak of the swine flu was recently detected, with 419 reported cases and 86 deaths so far. Health centers are running out of medicine and many people are unable to access health centers because of the war.

Reporter Fuad Rajeh reports that the Houthis will try Yemen country manager of Saferworld, Awfa Al-Naami, on charges of “harming national security.” Al-Naami was detained on Monday, January 28.

Graham Jones, Labour MP and the most senior parliamentarian overseeing Britain’s arms control regime, stated that NGO’s claims about civilian deaths in Yemen from airstrikes were exaggerated. He also claimed that the primary blame for the war was with Iran and that NGOs misunderstand the region’s problems.

Faculty at Hadhramawt University are protesting because the university has not upheld its  financial obligations. The faculty have previously gone on strike but their demands have thus far been ignored.

Clashes broke out in the Old City of Aden today between pro-government forces and an unspecified group of gunmen, according to Aden al-Ghad.

Tuesday, February 5

Amnesty International accused the United Arab Emirates of supplying unaccountable militias with weapons purchased from western states, including the United States. Some of these militias have ties to AQAP or other extremist groups. The transfer of US arms to third parties violates the end-use agreements mandated by all US arms sales. The YPP raised the issue of illegal arms diversion with State and Defense Department officials in April 2018, but officials denied any knowledge of such practices.

An investigation by CNN found that the Saudi-led coalition has transferred US-manufactured weapons to unaccountable third parties. In doing so, US-manufactured weapons have come into the possession of extremist groups and Iranian-backed rebels. A US defense official confirmed there was an ongoing investigation following CNN’s reports.

Houthi-run news channel al-Masirah says that the Houthi delegation in Amman have proposed a prisoner release of 400 individuals from both parties to the conflict, and are waiting on a response from Riyadh. This proposal comes despite the agreement by both parties to release all prisoners as part of the recent Stockholm Agreements.

In San’a, Mothers of Abductees protested outside the Houthi detention center where a number of civilians are being held. The association claims that the Houthis are denying medical access to the prisoners. They are appealing to the UN and the UN special envoy to secure their release.  

Wednesday, February 6

The House Foreign Affairs Committee voted to send the war powers resolution, H.J.Res.37, to the full chamber of a vote. The resolution would require President Trump to withdraw US forces from the war in Yemen. A companion bill passed the Senate last December, and has been reintroduced in the upper chamber as well. The House Rules Committee will consider the bill shortly; a vote on the House floor is expected within the month.

Government forces reopened  the Dhubab Road, the primary entrance to the city of Ta’iz, after it had been blocked by a rival local militia. Most other entrances into the city are still blocked by Houthi forces, which have maintained a siege on the city since 2015. The Dhubab entrance is crucial to the survival of the city’s inhabitants; it is often closed by militias as part of the ongoing power struggles between anti-Houthi groups.

Oxfam reports that Yemen’s food shortage has left  1.1 million childbearing women malnourished and that there is evidence that child marriage is rising so families can buy food.

According to al-Masdar Online, the real estate sector in Yemen is experiencing an unusual boom, in contrast with other sectors of the Yemeni economy. According to the article, this may be due to a large number of Yemeni expatriates returning from Saudi Arabia, as well as money laundering operations and internal displacement of Yemenis from Houthi-controlled areas to those controlled by the government.

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief), launched projects to create and support jobs in the Tarim area of Wadi Hadhramawt. KSRelief has been criticized by NGOs in the past for placing restrictions and conditions on aid funding, in violation of UN requirements.

Thursday, February 7

Senators Menendez (D-NJ) and Young (R-IN) announced a new resolution, the “Saudi Arabia Accountability and Yemen Act of 2019.” The bill would prohibit arms transfers to Saudi Arabia, prohibit refueling of coalition aircraft, require the US government to present a strategy for ending the war in Yemen, and place sanctions on individuals responsible for blocking humanitarian aid, among other measures.

Following three days of talks, Yemen’s warring parties have reached a preliminary compromise regarding the ceasefire in Hudaydah. The compromise will undergo further consultation, and talks are expected to continue next week in order to finalize details. The UN did not give further information on the agreement.

Negotiations over the UN-sponsored prisoner exchange between the warring parties in Yemen could drag on for months. Both parties have failed to recognize or confirm all of the prisoners named on their opponents’ lists.

Southern news outlet Aden al-Ghad reports that the Houthis are using their all-female auxiliary force, the Zaynabiyat, to abduct women in San’a, a practice which has increased over the past few days.

Al-Masdar Online reports that according to local sources, Houthi gunmen attacked a village in central al-Baydha province, abducting a number of people.