Houthis and some reflections on the reasons of yemeni crisis in the post-uprisings era

Abstract

Yemen has been facing a deep humanitarian crisis for years due to political instability in the country. With the outbreak of popular protests in the country in 2011 against the oppressive regime of Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemeni people took a great opportunity for crucial political transformation in the country through the democratization wave in the region. However, due to the structural problems inherited from the authoritarian regime of Saleh such as separatist groups in Aden, Al-Qaeda affiliated extremist groups, Houthis were supported by Iran and deep economic crisis, the attempt for peaceful and democratic transition in the post-revolution era has turned to be impossible in the country. The rise of Houthis in Yemeni political system after 2011 and their alliance with the former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, negatively affected the reconstruction process and destroyed all hopes for a democratic Yemen. When Houthis attacked Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, in September 2014 to control the entire country, it was the beginning of a new crisis in the country which was in a very fragile situation. After the overthrown of the democratic government in Yemen by Houthis, the country has entered a new phase that led to the outbreak of civil war. Besides domestic actors, external powers like Iran, the US and Saudi Arabia have also deepened the crisis in Yemen through their clashes of interest over the country. Under the worsening circumstances, Yemeni state system has totally failed, and the Yemeni people faced one of the biggest tragedies in the last century. In this regard, I will firstly try to explain why a civil war broke out in Yemen in the postuprisings era by referring to the political dynamics and the structural problems of the country. Secondly, I will give a brief about the development of the Houthi Movement, their relations with Iran and the movement’s position in Yemeni political system. Lastly but not least, I will discuss the role of external powers in the emergence of a bloody and instable political environment in Yemen with a specific focus on the Iranian-Saudi tension over the country.