Yemen Experts Do Not See End to Conflict
2020-04-01
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1Five years of civil war has turned Yemen -- the poorest Arab nation on the Arabian Peninsula -- into the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
2An estimated 100,000 people have been killed during the conflict.
3Yemen is home to 24 million people.
4About 80 percent of the population depends on food and humanitarian aid to survive.
5Yemen's warring groups have welcomed a United Nations call for an immediate end to the conflict.
6But Middle East experts believe that such calls will not stop the fighting.
7A Saudi Arabian-led coalition launched a military offensive against Iranian-supported Houthi rebels five years ago.
8The coalition's members wanted to re-establish Yemen's ousted government, under President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.
9Rights groups have accused both the Saudi-led forces and the rebels of rights violations against civilians, as well as war crimes.
10Yemen expert Helen Lackner says the conflict appears to have no end.
11She told VOA, "These policymakers, as far as the Yemenis are concerned, are actively promoting the fighting...they don't care one bit about the millions who are suffering."
12Lackner added that at the end of 2019, the fighting appeared to be slowing.
13But two major agreements failed to move forward.
14The United Nations-supported Stockholm agreement was supposed to end the coalition offensive on the port of Hodeida.
15The Riyadh agreement was to solve the crisis between Hadi's government and southern separatists supported by the United Arab Emirates.
16But Lackner notes there has been a serious increase in fighting since January, especially in Yemen's south.
17She adds that a major Houthi offensive also threatens other parts of the country that were once said to be more secure.
18Cinzia Bianco is watching events in Yemen for the European Council on Foreign Relations.
19She told VOA she expects the situation in Yemen to worsen if the Houthis continue their offensive toward the center of Marib province.
20Bianco predicts rising tensions in two separate areas: "one...in the north, and the other in the south, along the Red Sea coast."
21Bianco says the Houthis have shown that they are able to continue fighting without support from Iran.
22She noted the country is currently battling a major coronavirus outbreak.
23I'm Jonathan Evans.
1Five years of civil war has turned Yemen -- the poorest Arab nation on the Arabian Peninsula -- into the world's worst humanitarian crisis. An estimated 100,000 people have been killed during the conflict. 2Yemen is home to 24 million people. About 80 percent of the population depends on food and humanitarian aid to survive. 3Yemen's warring groups have welcomed a United Nations call for an immediate end to the conflict. But Middle East experts believe that such calls will not stop the fighting. 4A Saudi Arabian-led coalition launched a military offensive against Iranian-supported Houthi rebels five years ago. The coalition's members wanted to re-establish Yemen's ousted government, under President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. 5Rights groups have accused both the Saudi-led forces and the rebels of rights violations against civilians, as well as war crimes. 6Yemen expert Helen Lackner says the conflict appears to have no end. She told VOA, "These policymakers, as far as the Yemenis are concerned, are actively promoting the fighting...they don't care one bit about the millions who are suffering." 7Lackner added that at the end of 2019, the fighting appeared to be slowing. But two major agreements failed to move forward. The United Nations-supported Stockholm agreement was supposed to end the coalition offensive on the port of Hodeida. The Riyadh agreement was to solve the crisis between Hadi's government and southern separatists supported by the United Arab Emirates. 8But Lackner notes there has been a serious increase in fighting since January, especially in Yemen's south. She adds that a major Houthi offensive also threatens other parts of the country that were once said to be more secure. 9Cinzia Bianco is watching events in Yemen for the European Council on Foreign Relations. She told VOA she expects the situation in Yemen to worsen if the Houthis continue their offensive toward the center of Marib province. 10Bianco predicts rising tensions in two separate areas: "one...in the north, and the other in the south, along the Red Sea coast." 11Bianco says the Houthis have shown that they are able to continue fighting without support from Iran. She noted the country is currently battling a major coronavirus outbreak. 12I'm Jonathan Evans. 13Dale Gavlak reported this story for VOA News. Jonathan Evans adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. 14___________________________________________________________ 15Words in This Story 16outbreak - n. a sudden rise in the incidence of a disease 17promoting - v. helping something happen, develop or increase