11 Years On: Yemen's 'Forgotten War' Faces Escalating Crisis and Global Scrutiny
March 31, 2025
The Saudi-led naval blockade, in place since 2015, has severely limited access to food and medical supplies, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
The Saudi-led air campaign has conducted over 25,000 airstrikes, resulting in approximately 19,000 civilian deaths, while the Houthis have retaliated with drone attacks.
Negotiations between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia have shown little progress, complicated by calls for southern Yemen's independence and renewed Al-Qaeda activity in the region.
The conflict has evolved into a proxy battleground for regional powers, reflecting the Sunni-Shia rivalry, with the Houthis designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S., Canada, and Australia.
As the Yemeni civil war marks its 11th anniversary in 2025, it continues to be referred to as a 'forgotten war' by analysts and international organizations.
Yemen remains the poorest Arab country and one of the most severely impacted by conflict in the 21st century.
Humanitarian conditions are dire, with 21.6 million people in need of aid, including 11 million children, and over 4.5 million displaced due to the ongoing conflict.
Despite a decrease in ground fighting between the Houthis and the Saudi coalition, international tensions have escalated due to Houthi actions against maritime vessels.
These Houthi attacks on maritime vessels in the Red Sea are linked to broader regional tensions involving Iran and Hamas.
Recent events, including leaked messages from high-ranking officials in the Trump administration, have drawn renewed attention to Yemen's conflict.
The leaked messages, revealed by Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic, suggest a troubling relationship between the U.S. and Europe, containing sensitive intelligence information.
The global focus on Yemen raises the question of whether international responses will address the humanitarian crisis beyond mere strategic interests.
Summary based on 1 source