Anna SuttererFederico Maccioni

Tomás OrihuelaJonah McKeown

War and Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen

Population | 27 million people

Capital | Sana’a

Predominant religion | Islam

Background

Civil war between Houthi rebels & pro-government fighters

○ Coalition of countries led by Saudi Arabia (and indirectly supported by US) opposes rebels

○ March 2015: Coalition aims to put “legitimate” president Abd Rabbo Mansur Hadi back in power.

Poorest country in the Middle East. | Little access to water, electricity, medicine leading to bad humanitarian conditions

International responses mostly militaristic (Saudi bombing, USA providing fuel). Not looking out for health of Yemeni people or civilians

Controversy● -Houthis overran Sanaa in 2015

and forced the government to resign

● North (Houthis, support Saleh)/South (mainly support Hadi) historical and cultural split (and more minute factions)

● Seen as a “proxy war” between Saudi Arabia and Iran at Yemeni citizen expense

● ISIS/Al-Qaeda still present● Not clear what the Houthis want

besides power for Saleh and his son

Ali Abdullah Saleh(former pres. until 2012)

Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi(current “legitimate” pres., fled to Aden in Feb. 2015)

Highlights

Air strikes on civilians

○ Attacks on children and families○ Strike on funeral procession (what got our attention)○ Strikes on economic structures (ex: potato chip factory) and health

institutions leading to greater poverty and illness

Humanitarian crisis and bad conditions

○ Famine and poverty○ Cholera outbreak: contracted from water or food○ Displaced citizens and refugees

US Involvement

○ Disputed missile attack on the USS Mason○ Continued arms sales to Saudi Arabia, despite US condemnation of

attacks

Pre-interviewed guests

Laura Kasinof

Former freelance reporter for the NYT in Sana’a

Don’t Be Afraid of the Bullets

Berlin

Pre-interviewed guests

Akshaya KumarDeputy United Nations Director

Conducts advocacy with members of the General Assembly and the Security Council

New York

Pre-interviewed guests

Asmaa Waguih

Reuters for 8 years | Twice in Yemen

Freelance photographer

Cairo

Pre-interviewed guests

Nabeel Khoury

Senior fellow at Atlantic Council's Rafik Hariri Center

Academic

Norfolk, VA

Pre-interviewed guests

Sama’a Al-Hamdani

Director of Yemeniaty

Writer, researcher and analyst Yemen Politics & Women’s Affairs

Washington DC

Additional Scheduled Pre-Interviews

Peter Salisbury: Journalist, Analyst, Associate fellow at the Middle East and North Programme at UK think tank Chatham House.

Mardo Shogom: Radio Liberty Regional Director for Southwest Asia and the Middle East.

Show Organization

Solo

Laura Kasinof

Panel

Akshaya Kumar, Nabeel Khoury, Sama’a Al-Hamdani