Introduction. Forum: General Assembly 2. Addressing the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. Position: Head Chair

Transcription

1 Forum: General Assembly 2 Issue: Student Officer: Addressing the humanitarian crisis in Yemen Labiba Rahman Position: Head Chair Introduction Since the rise of the Arab Spring Protests in 2011 in Yemen, 75% of the population in Yemen are in serious need for humanitarian aid. The Arab Spring Protests are a series of peaceful protests against the government that spread across the Arab world. The humanitarian crisis in Yemen is direct consequence of the civil war that has erupted from the Arab Spring Protest. According to TRT World, the peaceful protests were carried out by the civilians regarding the unemployment issues and government corruption in Yemen due to the government at the time. However, the politically motivated Shia rebel group, the Houthis, took this uprising as an opportunity to have territorial gains within Yemen as they have been at war with the Saleh Government for several years. This eventually led to the Saleh government toppling and being replaced by the Hadi government, Saleh s Vice President. The Civil war continued on and led to involvement of major countries. Yemen has gone from one of the most successful and rich countries in the Middle East to the poorest since the civil war. Several extremist groups, such as, Al Qaeda and Daesh, took this opportunity to make themselves present in the nation due to the instability caused by the ongoing dispute. Hadi being unable to put an end to the influence by the rebel group, Houthi, and the extremist groups forced him to seek refuge in Saudi Arabia. This happened when the Houthis seized Sanaa, the capital city, in partnership with Saleh, the previous President. Major countries such as: Saudi Arabia, Unites States of America and Gulf states involved themselves in the war through a Saudi Led Coalition against the Houthis. Iran was rumored to be backing the Houthis which is the reason behind Saudi Arabia s motivation and involvement in this war. Saudi Arabia has also imposed a blockade in Yemen to hinder the resources being sent to the Houthis from Iran. However, this led to the humanitarian crisis worsening within the country. UN states that 14 million civilians in Yemen are on the brink of an extreme famine and starvation. Since the beginning of the war, Poverty has increased, the Economy has tremendously worsened, accessibility to healthcare has decreased, and several other issues have arisen; all of which are worsening the humanitarian situation in Yemen. Research Report Page 1 of 12

2 Definition of Key Terms Civil War A civil war is a conflict between the people within the state and/or with non-state intervention within the state. In Yemen, the Houthis want territorial gains in which they are against the international powers. Countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran and United States of America are all involved. Human Rights Rights that every human is entitled to inherently, regardless of their nationality, gender, the color of skin, religion or ethnicity. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states the fundamental list of human rights to which everyone is entitled. There are 48 signatories and 8 abstentions to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Arab Spring Series of Anti-Government protests led by an Arab countries civilians. Began in late 2010 in Tunisia and spread across Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. Extremist/Terrorist Group Extremism is the construct of having extreme views on a specific matter. In this case, the extremism and terrorist groups would be: Al Qaeda, Daesh, etc. They are known for terrorising and taking military action against humanity. These groups are present in Syria and play an active role in the civil war. The Houthis Politically motivated Shia rebel group against the Saleh government. Now has the agenda of making territorial gains in Yemen. Displacement The act of moving something from its original place. In this case, millions of Yemenis are displaced in their country as a result of the war. Background Information Since the beginning of the Civil War in Yemen in 2011, the impact of the violation of rights was evident in several different forms, such as increase in Poverty, decreasing accessibility to healthcare, worsening situation of the economy; which increases food prices, and displacement. Page 2 of 12 Research Report

3 Causes of the War The war in Yemen began from the peaceful protests from the Arab Spring. Civilians took the streets protesting against the government due to the increase in unemployment rates and corruption in the government. This forced Saleh, the President at that time, to resign from his thirty-three years of ruling. Saleh s successor is the Vice President during his Presidency, Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. However, Hadi was unable to maintain peace and order within the country from Houthi forces and extremist forces, such as, Al Qaeda and Daesh which resulted him in being perceived as a weak President. Houthi forces engaged in a spree of invasion in partnership with Saleh. Saleh joined forces with Houthi in hopes to regain power and the Houthis needed military power which they gained from Saleh. During this time, right after the invasion of the capital city Sanaa, Hadi turned to Saudi Arabi to seek refuge and asked for a Saudi intervention in the war. Saudi Arabia agreed to this as the Houthis are backed by Iran, their longtime archrival. Since the Saudi coalition, several countries involved themselves in the war, mainly the Gulf States, and the United States of America. USA mainly focused on backing the coalition but also targeted the extremist groups. The Yemen Data Project states that most of the Saudi Led Coalition attacks targeted non-military zones, such as, hospitals and schools. Saudi-UAE Coalition School Bus Bombing Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates led coalition dropped a bomb on a school bus in Yemen which resulted in the deaths of 51 civilians; 40 of which were children, 79 wounded; 56 of which were children. This bombing was condemned by the international world as unjustified and inhumane. According to CNN, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates admits to this being a mistake and was intending to target Houthi forces. Increase in Poverty The Poverty rate in Yemen increased to 79% due to the ongoing turmoil. 16 million civilians; 55% of the population, do not have access to clean and safe drinking water and sanitation. The Poverty rates has led to the education rates dropping for women to 48% and 25% of the children do not attend school. Along with 11% of the educational facilities being used for other purposes. The leading causes of the Poverty in Yemen is due to the civil war. Due to the corruption and the civil war, resources imported into the country were halted and most were used towards the civil war which resulted in the lack of sanitation, water, food, security, and increased unemployment. Along with all the reasons mentioned, the damage to the infrastructure due to the war has led to a massive displacement, due to this, there are currently 2.3 million internally displaced peoples within Yemen. Healthcare Inaccessibility Research Report Page 3 of 12

4 The healthcare in Yemen are growingly inaccessible. Lack of medical supplies and equipment have proven to be concerning issue for those injured by the civil war. Especially in light of the massive cholera outbreak which has infected almost a million civilians according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. Currently, with less than 45% of medical facilities, such as, hospitals, working, it leaves several civilians not treated for their infection. The International Committee of the Red Cross states: Despite being a completely treatable disease, thousands of people have died from the disease. Lack of healthcare is a huge concern as not only has there been a cholera outbreak, but several other diseases, such as, diphtheria. The severity of this healthcare crisis can be further depicted from an article published by the World Health Organisation stating that health system in Yemen close to collapse. Yemen already had a straining healthcare before the war. The causalities of the war along with the infected people from the diseases, it is difficult for Yemen s poor healthcare system be able to treat all civilians (World Health Organisation). Food Inaccessibility (Worsening Situation of Yemeni Economy) Yemen is currently on the brink of facing an extreme famine due to the lack of food. Since the war has erupted in Yemen in 2011, malnutrition rates skyrocketed among children and adults. In a data by Al Jazeera, 29 million civilians in Yemen does not have access to food to due to the huge inflation of prices from the decline in the economy. In the brink of poverty, it is especially more difficult for civilians to purchase food and daily necessities. Due to the lack of food, 7.5 million civilians are in dire need of nutrition support. Supplying aid from foreign organisations have also proven to be a difficulty due to the Saudi Led Coalitions as they have bombed the port of Al-Hudaydah, one of Yemen s largest sources of food and humanitarian aid. Issues of food, healthcare, and general supplies is intensified due to the blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia on ports as Yemen relies heavily on the supplies received from the ports in the country. Additionally, according to the United Nations, Basic food prices have increased 98% and fuel 110% in the last three years. Along with that, more than 50% of the civilians are unemployed in heavily impacted areas which leaves them with little to no money to afford food. Moreover, the UN also states that salaries are being denied to 1.25 million civil servants. Displacement of Yemenis The conflict has resulted in two million Yemeni civilians internally displaced. For safety purposes, civilians were forced to flee their homes. However, a million of those civilians are returning to their homes as the socioeconomic and safety conditions worsens in the place they fled to. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the main reason for civilians to return to their origins are due to the lack of access to income and basic services in areas of displacement Additionally, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross, the internally displaced civilians are living in harsh conditions in rented accommodation or makeshift homes. The humanitarian crisis is far by the worse one in the world due to all these factors according to the United Nations. Page 4 of 12 Research Report

5 Major Countries and Organizations Involved Kingdom of Saudi Arabia The humanitarian crisis in Yemen is a direct consequence of the civil war raging within it; this civil war is effectively a proxy war between two countries: Iran and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia fully supports the current president, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, and governmental forces. When rebel groups threatened his safety and wellbeing, Hadi fled to Saudi Arabia, who felt that the rebel groups in Yemen were a threat to Riyadh, because Saudi felt that the rebels were backed by Iran. Thus, KSA set up air and sea blockades and began airstrikes in Local observers suggest that almost a third of these airstrikes have targeted non-military zones, including hospitals, schools, and even a funeral, where more than 100 civilians were killed. They have also bombed the port of Al-Hudaydah, one of Yemen s largest sources of food and humanitarian aid. United States of America The United States of America is the largest contributor to the Saudi-led coalition, supplying the Saudi military with training, vehicles, and ammunition, which include cluster bombs, banned by the majority of the international community by the Convention on Cluster Munitions of 2008 due to their imprecise and lethal nature. Furthermore, the USA has been aiding the Saudi Airstrikes through facilitating mid-air refueling. This is done by giant American tankers taking off from the military air bases in turkey and/or the carriers in the Arabian Sea, and refuel Saudi planes mid-air, giving them much more range and enabling more effective and destructive airstrikes. As of November 2016, the US has carried out more than 1600 refueling missions. The US motivations are quite varied, ranging from attempting to limit Iranian influence in the region and preventing Yemen from becoming a safe haven for terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda. Regardless of the motivations, the US involvement in facilitating war crimes makes them equally complicit, something that they have become aware of. They have thus demanded the Saudis to be more selective with their airstrike targets, but Saudi has ignored these demands. Iran The primary conflict in Yemen is that of a proxy war between Iran and Saudi Arabia, where Iran back the predominantly Shia Houthis against the Saudi backed government. Iran s primary motivation in this conflict, as well as in most regional conflicts, is to attempt to change the current system of power in the middle east, where Saudi are the primary hegemon. Iran has achieved this through the utilization of two main tools: the first is through Shiite propaganda, which resulted in Houthis and other Shia groups becoming loyal to Iran and its goals. The second tool is the more obvious military aid. Iran has consistently supplied the Houthis with a myriad of military support, ranging from training to supplying weapons. These weapons have been supplied via maritime smuggling operations. While these weapons Research Report Page 5 of 12

6 are often assumed to be the usual run-of-the-mill type of weapons, they have also reportedly included long-range ballistic missiles and anti-tank missiles. United Arab Emirates While the UAE is often assumed to be a state whose foreign policy directly reflects that of KSA and are indeed a part of the Saudi led coalition, they are also following their own personal agenda, as they are the primary supporters of the separatist movement in the south of Yemen, called the Hirank. Their primary motivation for this support is to obtain a stronger foothold in the Gulf peninsula. While their overall role, relative to other major countries involved, is not as noteworthy, it is vital to understand their motivations and actions in order to have a comprehensive understanding of the issue. Yemen Currently, the country of Yemen is in disarray, as it is being used a proxy war playground for larger, more powerful nations. Yemen is the poorest country in the Arab world and is in desperate need of a stable government and humanitarian aid. However, the country is currently divided into many territories, each primarily governed by opposing insurgent forces, such as the separatist Hiranks, or what is left of the internationally recognized government, whose president is Hadi. Gulf Cooperation Council The Gulf Cooperation Council, more commonly referred to as the GCC, is a council comprising 6- member nations; Qatar, Bahrain, UAE, Kuwait, Oman, and of course, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. While it is primarily a trade bloc, it also acts a means for these countries to discuss regional affairs, which would include Yemen. Furthermore, all of these countries are part of the Saudi led coalition except for Qatar, who left in The actions of the member nations of the GCC as a whole has a massive influence on the quality and quantity of the aid given to Yemenis, and it is of great importance that the GCC acts in the best interests of Yemeni people when making decisions regarding the conflict and the region as a whole. Arab League The Arab League includes all the members of the GCC, but also many additional countries within the Middle East, most notably also including Yemen as well as North African countries. The vast majority of countries within the Arab league are also part of the Saudi led coalition, and the Arab league has considerably more sway in regional affairs. Iran, however, is not a part of the Arab league either, but communication and negotiation between both are vital in order for the Yemeni conflict, as well as other proxy wars fought in the region for the same reasons, to be resolved effectively. Timeline of Events Date Description of event 2011 The Arab Spring. Yemenis protested their president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, for Page 6 of 12 Research Report

7 causing high unemployment and government corruption. February 27, 2012 Saleh steps down, hands over power to Vice president Adb Mansour Hadi 2013 UN sponsored national dialogue regarding Yemen s future. Houthis and southern separatists felt the dialogue undermined their interests Hadi flees to Saudi Arabia KSA forms the Saudi led coalition and launches an aerial campaign, as well as 2015 implementing air and sea blockades. The United States is the primary source of aircrafts and ammunition for this campaign 2017 Saleh is found dead after suggesting a cease fire, the killing is claimed by the Houthis who felt Saleh calling for a cease-fire was treacherous. Relevant UN Treaties and Events World Conference on Human Rights, 18 December 1992 (A/RES/47/122) Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 10 December 1948 (A/RES/3/217A) Time limited assets freeze, and travel ban against individuals or entities designated by the Committee, 26 February 2018 (A/RES/2402) Previous Attempts to solve the Issue The humanitarian issues in Yemen are problems that are two-fold: the first level that needs to be addressed is the root cause, which is the lack of stable government and the civil war; the second level is that of the consequences of the civil war, such as famine, lack of food, water, and shelter, and poor medical facilities. The primary aim of all long-term solutions should be to stop the civil war and instigate a stable government, but while this process takes place, we also need to focus on helping those in need. On both of these fronts, solutions have often been ineffective. Short-term aid is extremely ineffective with Yemen in its current state. Despite billions of dollars in foreign aid being sent to Yemen, practically none of it has a made any difference, due to a plethora of circumstances. Saudi bombing has resulted in the destruction of infrastructure, making transporting vital goods and services extremely difficult. This is compounded by the fractured nature of Yemen, with warlords and local groups exacerbating the difficulty in transporting goods, often even looting vehicles and selling supplies on the black market. Furthermore, the Saudi led coalition has enforced sea and air blockades further restricting the flow of supplies and aid to those who need them. It is clear that whatever short-term aid has been supplied so far, is inefficient and insufficient. In contrast to this, long-term aid is a far more complicated issue to address. If the issue is implementing a stable and competent government, who decides how this government is created and how it will run the country? This was in fact attempted, in 2003, when an UN-sponsored dialogue was created to discuss the country s future. A new federal system was suggested, where Yemen would be divided into six federal states, but ultimately disagreement ensued, resulting in the Hadi government Research Report Page 7 of 12

8 losing control and civil war ensues. Furthermore, there is the question of what means are justified in establishing a lasting government. Undoubtedly, Saudi may feel that they are aiding Yemen in the long run with their air strikes, as it will hopefully flood out all the rebels allowing for a more prosperous nation. The first goal, however, should be to stop armed conflict and constant bombing, particularly those that involve civilians. This has been attempted in the past, where the US demanded that Saudi refrain from bombing civilian sites such as schools and hospitals but was not effective at all. Recently, however, the US has hinted at taking further actions, as the Senate recently passed a resolution condemning KSA s conduct in Yemen, and senators from both parties suggested applying sanctions. However, the result of these sanctions, and whether or not they are actually implemented, is yet to be seen. Possible Solutions Possible solutions can be divided into three main forms; solutions to instability, solutions to the conflict, and solutions to the humanitarian crisis itself. Solutions to Instability In order to solve instability in any country and to establish a legitimate authority that is acknowledged by the people, three conditions must be satisfied: the first is that the people must feel represented; the second is that the people must feel that justice is fair and unwavering, and the third is that people must not be suffering inordinately harsh conditions. Thus, in order to successfully create a stable long-term government in Yemen, which does not necessarily have to be a democracy, these conditions must be met. One way to do this would be to implement a temporary UN-run government, which would then transition to one that is more representative of Yemen itself, Solutions to Conflicts The conflict itself in Yemen must be solved by either removing the reasons for fighting, which would be solved if a stable and fair government were to be implemented or by removing the means for fighting. This would require countries like the USA to rescind all support of any side in the conflict, and methods such as sanctions could be utilised to ensure that no side is able to receive weaponry that they can use to incite violence. Humanitarian Relief The humanitarian issue cannot be solved independently of the conflict, but can, however, be mitigated. UN aid sent to Yemen can be accompanied by peacekeepers to prevent looting. The process of delivering aid can become more transparent in order to ensure maximum Page 8 of 12 Research Report

9 efficiency. UN and NGOs can help rebuild infrastructure in order to facilitate transportation of goods and services that are desperately required by Yemeni civilians. While aid is already being sent to Yemen, it is neither enough in quantity, nor is it sufficient in quality. Bibliography Abdelaziz, Salma, et al. "Saudi-led coalition admits 'mistakes' made in deadly bus attack in Yemen." CNN, 2 Sept. 2018, edition.cnn.com/2018/09/01/middleeast/saudi-coalition-yemenattack/index.html. Accessed 10 Dec Al-Qadhi, Mohammad Hossain. "The Iranian Role in Yemen." Arabian Gulf Centre for Iranian Studies, rasanah-iiis.org/english/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/12/the-iranian-role-in-yemen-and-its- Implications-on-the-Regional-Security-.pdf. Accessed 11 Dec Altman, M. J. "9 Things To Know About Hunger And Poverty In Yemen." World Food Program USA, 27 Jan. 2015, Accessed 13 Dec "The Arab League." Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/arab_league. Accessed 11 Dec "Arab Spring." History, A&E Television Networks, 10 Jan. 2018, Accessed 9 Dec Bansal, Aishwarya. "Poverty in Yemen: An Exploration of Why the Country is So Poor." The Borgen Project, 23 June 2017, borgenproject.org/poverty-yemen-country-poor/. Accessed 10 Dec Borger, Julian. "US supplied bomb that killed 40 children on Yemen school bus." The Guardian, 19 Aug. 2018, Accessed 7 Dec Casey, Ruairi. "NEWS/MIDDLE EAST Yemen is undeniably the world's worst humanitarian crisis: WFP." Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera Media Network, 28 Sept. 2018, Accessed 7 Dec Cruz, Carmelo. "The UAE's Role in Yemen." International Policy Digest, 20 Mar. 2018, intpolicydigest.org/2018/03/20/the-uae-s-role-in-yemen/. Accessed 12 Dec "Displacement." Merriam Webster, Accessed 8 Dec Research Report Page 9 of 12

10 "Explainer: The War in Yemen Explained in 3 minutes." Youtube, uploaded by Al Jazeera English, 3 July 2017, Accessed 13 Dec "Facts about Yemen Poverty Rate." The Borgen Project, 16 Sept. 2017, borgenproject.org/facts-yemenpoverty-rate/. Accessed 9 Dec Goodman, Jack. "Yemen war: Billions in aid, but where's it going?" BBC, 12 Dec. 2018, Accessed 13 Dec "Gulf Cooperation Council." Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/gulf_cooperation_council#iran. Accessed 11 Dec "Health Crisis in Yemen." International Committee of the Red Cross, Accessed 10 Dec "Health system in Yemen close to collapse." World Health Organisation, WHO, Accessed 9 Dec "HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN YEMEN." Care, Accessed 9 Dec Nam, Sydney. "Causes of Poverty in Yemen: Domestic Disputes and International Insecurity." Borgen Magazine, The Borgen Project, 1 Aug. 2017, Accessed 10 Dec Roberts, William. "US Senate rebukes Saudi Arabia over Yemen war, Khashoggi murder." Al Jazeera, 12 Dec. 2018, Accessed 13 Dec "Saudi Arabian led intervention in Yemen." Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/saudi_arabian %E2%80%93led_intervention_in_Yemen. Accessed 11 Dec "Saudi-UAE coalition admits Yemen school bus attack 'unjustified.'" Al Jazeera, 1 Sept. 2018, Accessed 11 Dec "Southern Movement." Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/southern_movement. Accessed 11 Dec "UAE-backed separatists launch 'coup' in southern Yemen." Al Jazeera, 29 Jan. 2018, html. Accessed 11 Dec Page 10 of 12 Research Report

11 "The US may be aiding war crimes in Yemen." Youtube, uploaded by Vox, 16 Dec. 2016, Accessed 12 Dec "Weapons of Mass Destruction Conventional Arms Regional Disarmament Transparency and Confidence-building Other Disarmament Issues Cluster Munitions." United Nations Officer for Disarmament Affairs, United Nations, Accessed 11 Dec "Yemen." Human Rights Watch, Accessed 7 Dec "Yemen." UN News, United Nations, news.un.org/en/focus/yemen. Accessed 7 Dec "Yemen conflict explained in 400 words." BBC, 13 June 2018, Accessed 11 Dec "Yemen's Brutal Conflict Pushing One Million Displaced to Return to Danger (Joint UNHCR-IOM Press Release)." United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees, United Nations, 21 Feb. 2017, Accessed 8 Dec "Yemen's complicated war explained." Youtube, uploaded by TRT World, 10 Aug. 2018, Accessed 8 Dec "Yemen: The civil war explained." Youtube, uploaded by France 24 English, 14 Nov. 2018, Accessed 9 Dec "Yemen: The world must be prepared for rapid collapse into mass displacement crisis UN expert." United Nations Human Rights Officer of the High Commissioner, United Nations, Accessed 8 Dec Appendix I. (Best Delegate) This website is useful, especially for newer delegates as well as experienced ones, as it provides all delegates with several resources (MUN starter pack, research ideas). II. (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) Research Report Page 11 of 12

12 This website includes most important facts about the millions of Syrian Refugees that have fled the country since the beginning of the war. Additionally, it includes the humanitarian actions taken by the UNHCR since the beginning of the civil war. Overall, this website has a general information on any topics related to refugees and humanitarian crisis. III. (UN Documents) This website consists of all UN documents. It will especially be useful when looking for any relevant treaties and additional information about any issue. IV. (UN News) This website consists of data collected by the United Nations on the situation in Yemen. Page 12 of 12 Research Report