High School
Resolving the Conflict in Yemen
Sara Khan, PantherNation Leadership Team, Grade 12
The spring of 2020 brought forth unprecedented transformations, with major social, economic, and political implications. Now more than ever before, an overwhelming number of individuals are experiencing severe economic hardships. As the global pandemic continues to rage, COVID-19 has left researchers struggling to tally mortality as “the coronavirus death rate has been compared to the death rates of the Vietnam War, Gulf War, and Iraq War combined.” (Lambert) Many low-income, war-torn countries, such as Yemen and Syria, now face severe shortages of resources. Developing countries do not possess the infrastructure nor the economic prowess to sustain long-term lockdowns. If not killed by the pandemic, many impoverished communities are likely to be killed as a result of hunger.
Image: UNICEF/UNI355858/Panjwani
Yemen is a nation located in the Middle East below Saudi Arabia. In 2011, however, the cumulative effects of the Arab Spring (series of anti-government protests, uprisings, and armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab) greatly impacted the citizens of Yemen. At the time, the government was led by Ali Abdullah Saleh. Hadi struggled to deal with issues such as military attacks, corruption, and food scarcity. Despite peacekeeping efforts, such as the National Dialogue Conference (NDC), during which James Benomar (UN envoy) facilitated a discussion between the representatives from numerous political parties within Yemen, such peacekeeping efforts were interrupted by excessive violence exerted by “The Ansar Allah” rebel group forcing Hadi and his cabinet to flee.
Image: UNICEF/UNI341696
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TOUCHSTONE Issue 1 / 2020-2021
Already serving as the largest humanitarian crisis and development crisis in the world, with over 24 million people (approximately 80% of the population) in need of humanitarian assistance (UNICEF). The crisis has transcended into further chaos and urgency as the sweeping detrimental impacts of COVID-19 on the globe began to seize and infiltrate the streets of Yemen. COVID-19 is exacerbating the already overwhelming health crisis in Yemen. COVID-19 is ready to deliver a knock-out punch. (UNICEF)
