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    Yemen: The Largest Humanitarian Crisis of the World

    en-auJune 13, 2021

    About this Episode

    According to Human Rights Watch, since 2015, the armed conflict in Yemen has resulted in the largest humanitarian crisis in the world with 20 million people experiencing food insecurity and ten million of these people are at the risk of famine. And Mind you according to U.N estimates total population of Yemen is just over 30 million. So, let’s talk about the conflict in Yemen.

    Arab Spring is a term that refers to uprisings which began in 2010 in Tunisia and later spread across the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. Initially these uprisings started off as peaceful protests against tyranny, dictatorship, decades of oppression and low standard of living.

     In January 2011, Yemen was already a poor country and was facing a lot of socio-economic issues when Arab Spring knocked on its doors in the form of peaceful protests that included everyday Yemenis as well as prominent opposition factions, calling for change and demanding the then President Saleh’s resignation. 

     Saleh made all possible attempts to stay in power, which included multiple negotiations, only to then walk back on some of those negotiated agreements, resulting in further protests, an assassination attempt on his life, an escape to Saudi Arabia for life saving treatment. And when he returned to Yemen, in late November of 2011, he signed an agreement to transfer power to his then Vice President Hadi. The agreement called for a presidential election to be held in February 2012 with Hadi as the only candidate on the ballot, ensuring Saleh would remain President until then. The agreement also called for a National Dialogue that would allow various political factions of the country to provide their input into formulation of a new constitution.

     

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