12/17
A UN monitoring mission will be sent to al-Hudaydah this week to oversee the fragile ceasefire that was negotiated last week.
The Office of the Special Envoy to Yemen has published the agreement reached on the release and exchange of all prisoners.
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau has signalled that Canada will be reconsidering its current arms export agreements with Saudi Arabia, primarily looking to terminate its planned delivery of armored vehicles to Riyadh.
In recent weeks, the introduction of legislation in both houses of Congress to invoke the War Powers Resolution, as well as the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, have drawn considerable attention to the US administration’s unwavering support for Saudi Arabia, especially in regards to its involvement in Yemen. Before it was blocked on November 14 (and again in early December), [1] H.Con.Res.138 had garnered the support of over 80 House members. [2] On the other side of the Capitol, Senate Joint Resolution 54 passed with an unprecedented 56 votes in favor of removing the US from hostilities in Yemen. [3]
The proposed legislation has helped to garner public acknowledgement in Congress and the media of how America’s actions have exacerbated Yemen’s humanitarian crisis. However, there remains strong hesitation, primarily among Republicans, to support a full withdrawal of US assistance to the Saudi-led coalition. President Trump appears to be predominantly focused on the importance of maintaining strong relations with Saudi Arabia in order to secure billions of dollars in arms sales, which Trump portrays as a crucial part of the US economy. [4] [5]
11/16
A recent report highlights the likelihood that an additional 5 million people in Yemen will starve if the fighting in al-Hudaydah continues and consequently drives up food prices.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly “threw a fit” over the draft UN Security Council resolution calling for a limited ceasefire and increase in humanitarian aid to Yemen when it was proposed to him by British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.
11/19
World Food Programme Chief David Beasley called the Houthis the greatest impediment to delivery of aid on the ground in Yemen, due to fighters taking up fighting positions in food warehouses in al-Hudaydah.
10/22
Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that Germany will discontinue its weapon exports to Saudi Arabia in light of the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.
UNICEF warns that fighting around the key port of al-Hudaydah, in addition to Yemen’s economic crisis, continues to exacerbate the humanitarian situation, putting millions of families in a desperate situation without access to clean water, food, or sanitation.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that over 3,000 families were affected by Cyclone Luban. About 2,203 families were displaced from their homes in the districts of al-Masilah, Sayhut, Huswain, Qishn, and al-Ghaydah City in al-Mahrah.
UN Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths is scheduled for a visit next Sunday to Ta’iz. Also in the works are plans for UN-sponsored meetings with the Yemeni government, Houthi representatives, and other regional and international actors in Nairobi in the near future.
The Hadi government’s Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation collaborated with UN Organization for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in a workshop to address Yemen’s 2019 humanitarian response plan in Aden.
9/24
Save the Children reported, using data from ACLED (Armed Conflict Location and Event Data), that at least 685 civilians have been killed in Yemen between June and the end of August, with 51% of these casualties (about 349 civilians) attributed to the Hudaydah campaign alone.
9/25
President Trump announced his intention to appoint Christopher Paul Henzel to replace Matthew Tueller as US Ambassador to Yemen. The American embassy has been based in Saudi Arabia since the Houthi-Saleh coup in early 2015.
Human Rights Watch released a report detailing cases of hostage-taking orchestrated by the Houthis, which includes inhumane detention, torture, and murder.