September 19-25: Senate votes on Saudi arms deal, dozens of civilians die in airstrikes

Monday, September 19US officials have confirmed that the government sold white phosphorus to Saudi Arabia, which the coalition now appears to be using in Yemen. US regulations require that white phosphorus only be used for signalling and creating smoke screens, but the highly flammable material can also be used as a weapon against soldiers and civilians. It is still unclear how Saudi Arabia is using it in Yemen.

In addition to the white phosphorus munitions, Amnesty International confirmed that a US-made bomb was used in an August 15 Saudi airstrike on an MSF hospital, which killed 11 and injured 19.

“It is outrageous that states have continued to supply the Saudi Arabia-led coalition with weapons...despite stark evidence that those arms are being used to attack hospitals and other civilian objects and in other serious violations of international humanitarian law,” said Philip Luther, Research and Advocacy Director at Amnesty International.

Tuesday, September 20 Gunmen reportedly abducted an American teacher from an English language school in San’a. The gunmen were seen by faculty and students forcing the teacher into a car outside of the school.

Saudi coalition airstrikes targeted the headquarters of the National Security Bureau in San’a’s historic old city, damaging homes in the UNESCO heritage site and killing one civilian. The coalition also bombed the nearby defense ministry, staff and residents reported.

The governing council of the Houthis and Saleh released a statement criticizing last week’s relocation of Yemen’s central bank from San’a to Aden by the exiled government. The statement says that the move reflects “desperation and lack of direction” by the Saudi regime and its supporters in Riyadh.

"This act from a legal perspective is null and void...We call on the international community especially the international monetary and financial institutions to stand by their decision to reject that move."

In preparation for Wednesday’s Senate vote on a $1.15 billion US arms deal with Saudi Arabia, Rand Paul (R-KY) explains why the transfer should be blocked and why congressional approval should have been required prior to US participation in the Saudi-led war in Yemen.

Wednesday, September 21 The US Senate debated and voted on a resolution to block a $1.15 billion weapons deal with Saudi Arabia. The resolution, sponsored by senators Chris Murphy and Rand Paul, did not pass. It did, however, receive bipartisan support from over a quarter of the Senate, indicating a possible shift in US backing of Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen. Senator Murphy says he will continue to push for a reevaluation of US support for the kingdom.

There is a US imprint on every civilian death inside Yemen...We have given [assistance to the coalition] in substantial means and methods. We provide the bombs, we provide the refueling planes, we provide the intelligence. There is really no way that this bombing campaign could happen without US participation. The United States is at war in Yemen today.” -Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT)

Here is a list of the senators that voted in favor and opposition to the resolution. To watch the Senate debate, start this video at 2:08:00.

At least 25 people were killed and 70 others wounded late on Wednesday when a Saudi-led coalition airstrike hit the residential al-Hunoud area of al-Hudaydah. The raid reportedly targeted a presidential palace used by Houthi rebels, but also destroyed neighboring homes.

The UK announced that it will increase humanitarian aid to Yemen by £37 million this year, bringing the total amount of aid to £100 million. The announcement comes amidst intense criticism of the British government for its billions of pounds worth of weapons deals with Saudi Arabia since the war in Yemen began in 2015. Overwhelming evidence from human rights organizations shows that British and American weapons are being used in the commission of humanitarian crimes by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. For a brief and informative history of UK-Saudi relations, read this op-ed published in Middle East Monitor this week.

Thursday, September 22 Ashwaq Muharram, a doctor working in al-Hudaydah, is now working independently to provide food and medicine to those suffering from famine and illness in one of Yemen’s most impoverished areas. Muharram says she has never seen things so bad. “The rich are now the middle class, the middle class are now the poor, and the poor are now starving.”

Friday, September 23 Foreign ministers of Yemen’s ministerial quartet (US, UK, UAE, and Saudi Arabia) proposed a 72-hour ceasefire during a UN General Assembly meeting in New York in the hopes that a lull in fighting could bring about another round of peace talks.

An article by Peter Salisbury and Samuel Oakford in the Atlantic discusses contradictions and failures in the Obama administration’s policy towards Saudi Arabia. Despite a complete lack of strategic benefit from the war in Yemen, the United States continues to support and enable Saudi offenses.

The UN reports that at least 329 civilians have been killed and 426 injured in Yemen since August, when peace talks collapsed along with an unstable ceasefire. In September alone, 149 civilians have been killed. Nine of those deaths were attributed to pro-Houthi forces and 126 to the Saudi-led coalition.

Yemen’s president-in-exile Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi told the UN that the coalition “shall extract Yemen from the claws of Iran, we shall raise the Yemeni flag over every foot of our precious Yemeni soil and we will lay the foundation for a just federal state.”

Hadi also said that the operations undertaken by the (Houthi) militias, especially in Ta’iz, such as kidnappings, forced disappearances, and the implementation of blockades, are terrorist actions that are no different from those committed by the Islamic State group or al-Qaeda. His full speech can be seen here.

Saturday, September 24 The UK has refused to back an international inquiry into Saudi war crimes proposed by the Netherlands, causing the inquiry to be replaced with a weaker version that human rights organizations deem insufficient to establish facts related to violations in Yemen.

Yemen’s government-in-exile plans to issue a complaint to the UN of Iran’s transfer of weapons to the Houthis.

"It is impossible to hide that weapons-smuggling is still taking place from Iran. Some of these weapons have been found on the Saudi-Yemeni border and they are Iranian weapons," Yemen’s foreign minister Abdel Malek al-Mekhlafi said.

Late night coalition airstrikes in Ibb killed nine civilians and wounded nine others, according to the local hospital officials. Locals say the nine killed include three children and their parents.

An apparent US drone strike in Ma’rib killed five suspected members of al-Qaeda. A security official claims those killed were local commander Abu Khaled al-Sanaani and four of his guards.

Sunday, September 25 Saleh al-Samad, the chief of the Houthi/Saleh political council in Yemen, proposed a truce where Houthi forces would halt attacks on Saudi Arabia if Saudi forces stopped airstrikes and lifted its blockade in Yemen.

"(In exchange for) stopping the aggression against our country by land, sea and air, stopping the air strikes and lifting the siege imposed on our country, in return (we will) stop combat operations on the border,” said al-Samad.

September 12-18: Deadly clashes near Ta'iz, Hadi orders relocation of CBY to Aden

Monday, September 12UN humanitarian coordinator Jamie McGoldrick says that he is deeply disturbed by “unrelenting attacks on civilians and on civilian infrastructure throughout Yemen by all parties to the conflict,” after Saturday’s coalition airstrike on a well in Arhab district killed 30 civilians.

Pro-government fighters are growing increasingly frustrated by the coalition’s inability to pay their salaries. Some soldiers are now being granted a few weeks leave from the army to find paid work elsewhere.

“The coalition had promised each recruit a minimum of about $270 a month — the prewar salary of a university professor with a master’s degree. But once on the front lines, according to several officers, most of the young men found themselves penniless for months on end.”

Three soldiers in Qatar’s armed forces were killed during operations in Yemen on Monday. Doha News later reported the soldiers’ names, but noted that their nationalities are unknown, as Qatar’s army includes soldiers from other countries.

According to Al Jazeera, Qatar has sent 1,000 ground troops to Yemen to support the coalition.

Tuesday, September 13 More shocking images of starving, emaciated Yemeni children are being circulated, drawing some attention to the country's critical food shortages. ABC and other outlets published these pictures along with statements from aid organizations.

“Out of the 1.5 million children who are suffering from malnutrition, according to UNICEF, 370,000 suffer from severe acute malnutrition, a life-threatening condition that requires urgent treatment.”

The Saudi-led coalition bombed an industrial site in San’a, targeting plants making pipes and building materials. The coalition claims the plant was being used to manufacture missile parts. The managing director of an Italian company affiliated with the factory says that the strike caused a fire that destroyed half the premises and resulted in several million dollars worth of damage. There were no casualties.

A US drone strike in Bayda province on Tuesday killed five suspected members of al-Qaeda, according to Yemeni security officials and a tribal chief. The alleged militants were traveling by car in the town of Rada.

Wednesday, September 14 Military sources told AFP that 12 Houthi fighters and three pro-government fighters were killed during fighting in Lahj and Ta’iz provinces, including clashes in a mountainous area in southwestern Yemen near the Bab al-Mandeb strait.

Thursday, September 15 Houthi forces have seized two oil tankers at the port of al-Hudaydah due to a payment dispute earlier this month. The two ships, owned by Singaporean company Ocean Tankers, have been held at the Red Sea port for months, according to Reuters. The seizure stems from a disagreement between Yemen Oil and Gas Company and CruGas, the company’s regular supplier. The seizure could disrupt the import of fuel and other essential goods to Yemen if companies see the country as too risky to trade with.

Forty fighters, including 27 Houthis and 13 pro-government forces, were killed during clashes near Ta’iz, says spokesperson for the government forces Colonel Sadeq al-Hassani. AFP reported the comments by the spokesperson, but the death toll could not be independently verified.

An important piece in the Guardian outlines a division in British parliament over arms sales to Saudi Arabia. Crispin Blunt, the Conservative chairman of the foreign affairs select committee, blocked a vote on the suspension of weapons sales to the kingdom after two select committees issued a joint report calling for an inquiry into alleged war crimes committed by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.

The committee says Saudi Arabia is “obstructing efforts to investigate the alleged violations,” adding that sales by the UK may have “the effect of conferring legitimacy” on Saudi Arabia’s actions.

Doctors Without Borders issued a statement on increased fighting in Yemen and the impact it has on civilian access to healthcare. The resumption of intense airstrikes across the country means that seeking medical care is now much more hazardous.

“The indirect victims of conflict are numerous. They include people who are unable to access medical facilities for treatment – for example, patients requiring blood transfusions or women requiring emergency caesarean sections. Even where a medical facility is functioning, it will likely lack the capacity to provide medical care due to shortages of key supplies, personnel or medicine, or have no fuel to run its generator. Some health facilities are simply too dangerous to reach, so people have to make do without.”

In Thursday’s press briefing, deputy spokesperson for the US state department Mark Toner addressed reports that Under Secretary of Political Affairs Tom Shannon met with Houthi representatives in Muscat this week to present a US proposal of a cessation of hostilities. Although Toner did not confirm Shannon’s travel to Muscat, the spokesperson said that the proposal is part of efforts by Secretary of State John Kerry to forge an agreement between the warring parties.

Friday, September 16 A survey conducted by human rights advocates and published in the Guardian shows that one in three Saudi-led air strikes in Yemen have hit civilian sites, such as schools and hospitals. Despite these findings, which support the accusation that the coalition is in violation of humanitarian law, the UK government is unlikely to suspend its arms sales to the kingdom. Since the war began in March 2015, the UK has sold 3.3 billion pounds worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia.

Al-Hudaydah’s residents, especially children, are facing famine and a lack of essential medical aid due to the ongoing war and blockade. In June, the UN listed the coastal city as the area of Yemen with “the highest malnutrition prevalence.”

“Here you won’t find a school, a medical center ... drinking water is from the wells. They are already deprived of everything,” said Ibrahim al-Kaali, a local social worker.

Yemen’s al-Islah party renounced the Muslim Brotherhood in a statement posted on its Facebook page: “No organizational or political relations link us to the international organization of Muslim Brotherhood, especially that the priorities of al-Islah as a political party are patriotic, and all the efforts exerted with its Yemeni partners lie in ending Yemen’s current crisis…”

A leader of al-Islah told Asharq al-Awsat that there has been “political confusion” in the region regarding the party’s connection with the Muslim Brotherhood.

A source close to the Houthi negotiating team in Oman says that US Under Secretary of Political Affairs Tom Shannon presented a proposal for a ceasefire in Yemen to Houthi representatives last week. The source did not disclose details of the proposal, but the US state department says it is an “extension of efforts” made by Kerry last month.

The Houthi negotiating team has been stuck in Oman since leaving Kuwait negotiations in early August. The group was prevented from returning to San'a by the Saudi-led coalition, which controls Yemen’s airspace. Saudi authorities say, however, that they will now allow the team to return to the capital.

Saturday, September 17 Hadi’s exiled government says that it will not enter into another round of peace talks with the Houthis until there are “clear assurances” that the governing council in San’a, formed by the Houthis and former president Saleh, has been dissolved.

Sunday, September 18 Hadi has ordered the relocation of the headquarters of the Central Bank of Yemen from San’a to Aden and has appointed Finance Minister Monasser al-Quaiti as the bank’s new head. The move is an attempt by Hadi’s exiled government to regain control over the country’s most important financial institution.

Last month, the government requested that international financial institutions prevent bank officials from accessing funds overseas, in the hopes of putting economic pressure on the Houthis. Restricted access to funds would also impact millions of Yemeni citizens, including teachers and doctors.

August 22-28: Kerry announces new plan for peace, exiled government targets CBY

Monday, August 22A joint report by UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration says that over 3,154,000 Yemenis have been displaced across the country as a result of the war in Yemen. The news release reports that due to the escalating conflict and worsening humanitarian conditions, displacement across the country has seen an increase of about seven percent since April, with 152,009 individuals fleeing from violence during this period.

The Control Arms Coalition said that Britain, the US, and France are in violation of the 2014 Arms Trade Treaty, which bans the export of weapons that disproportionately result in the death of civilians and the commission of other war crimes.

"It is extremely concerning that many transfers are still continuing, in particular the governments of the United States, the UK and France have authorized and are continuing to export very large quantities of weapons, including explosive weapons, bombs which are being used daily against civilians in Yemen," said Anna MacDonald, director of the Control Arms Coalition.

The Guardian tells the stories of victims of recent Saudi airstrikes and outlines the implications that these strikes have for Yemen’s conflict. San’a-based political analyst Hisham Al-Omeisy said airstrikes in recent weeks had become more indiscriminate. He added that while the Houthis were “guilty of hijacking and mismanaging the state”, it was the Saudi-led coalition that had “held the whole nation hostage to the current conflict and [had] been collectively and indiscriminately punishing.”

Congressman Ted Lieu and other American lawmakers have been pushing the Obama administration to suspend its support of the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen due to the heavy civilian death toll. Speaking to The Intercept, Lieu explained his opposition to US involvement in the war: “You can’t kill children, newlyweds, doctors and patients — those are exempt targets under the law of war, and the coalition has been repeatedly striking civilians...So it is very disturbing to me. It is even worse that the U.S. is aiding this coalition.”

Tuesday, August 23 Deputy chief executive of Oxfam GB, Penny Lawrence, says that the UK government has switched from being an “enthusiastic backer” of the Arms Trade Treaty to being “one of the most significant violators.” In the past year, the UK licensed 3.3 billion pounds worth of arms to Saudi Arabia while the Saudi-led coalition has continued to bomb civilian targets.

“UK arms and military support are fuelling a brutal war in Yemen, harming the very people the Arms Trade Treaty is designed to protect. Schools, hospitals and homes have been bombed in contravention of the rules of war,” says Lawrence.

ABC show Foreign Correspondent aired an episode on the war in Yemen, and specifically the impact it has on Yemen’s children. Reporter Sophie McNeill visits Yemen’s hospitals to hear from the patients, their families, and the staff. The show includes an interview with a man who lost 18 members of his family, including his five-year-old daughter, in a coalition airstrike on a wedding party.

Wednesday, August 24 Yemen’s government-in-exile is now targeting the country’s central bank, cutting it off from the rest of the world as a way to put economic pressure on the Houthis. This move inevitably puts more pressure on Yemeni citizens as well, blocking their access to desperately-needed food imports. Yemen’s central bank is considered one of the country’s last stable institutions, and has done a remarkable job of managing Yemen’s economy and currency, given the circumstances.

According to Farea al-Muslimi, an analyst with the Middle East Institute in Washington DC, action against the central bank would cut "the only artery" holding the country together.

US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Saudi Arabia to hold talks with the kingdom's officials and other Gulf leaders on the situation in Yemen and the stalled peace process.

Thursday, August 25 Kerry said during a press conference in Jeddah that there is a new plan to end the war in Yemen, which includes Houthis in a unity government in exchange for their transferring of arms to a third party. Kerry called the approach “fair and sensible”. He pledged $189 million of new US aid and criticized the international community’s response to the crisis in Yemen. 

Full press conference in Arabic here.

UN human rights chief, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, is calling for an independent international investigation into a series of violations in Yemen. Hussein said in a statement today that Yemenis are suffering "unbearably [without] any form of accountability and justice, while those responsible for the violations and abuses against them enjoy impunity". However, the UN declined to accuse either side of war crimes, saying that it was for a national or international court to decide.

A spokesperson for the Red Cross based in Yemen says that the death toll of the 17-month-long war is so extensive that the organization has began to donate morgues.

“The hospitals were not able to cope,” said spokesperson Rima Kamal. “You could have more than 20 dead people brought into one hospital on one single day. The morgue capacity at a regular hospital is not equipped to handle this influx of dead bodies.”

Friday, August 26 CNN featured an important piece by Peter Salisbury on Kerry’s visit and press conference in Jeddah. The secretary of state failed to address in any detail recent Saudi airstrikes on an MSF hospital, a school, and a food factory, all of which incurred civilian casualties.

“The Houthis and Saleh, it needs to be repeated, are almost certainly committing war crimes in Yemen, according to human rights groups. With this in mind the Saudis, Yemenis opposed to the coup, and indeed Western officials, find it difficult to understand why so much attention is being paid to the Saudis' worst excesses. They aren't the bad guys, the argument goes. But this attitude contains a serious moral hazard: why should rogue states and rebel groups like the Houthis feel accountable for their actions if an ally of two of the UN's most influential member states is not also held to account for its actions or at least reined in?”

Saba news agency reported that 11 civilians were killed in Saudi airstrikes in Sa'dah. The outlet said that two houses in the district of Baqam were destroyed in an overnight raid. Rescue efforts were delayed due to fears of subsequent strikes as fighter jets continued to circle the area.

In response to comments by Secretary of State John Kerry, who said he was "deeply troubled" by images of Iranian-supplied missiles positioned along the Saudi-Yemen border by the Houthis, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said such statements were "baseless accusations."

Saturday, August 27

Yemen's government in exile said it welcomed a plan agreed upon by Gulf, US, and UN officials to restart peace talks with the goal of forming a unity government. Unlike the previous proposed deal that would have required the Houthis to hand in their weapons and withdraw from seized territory prior to a political settlement, Kerry suggested the prospective deal could move ahead in parallel.

Sunday, August 28 Following the exiled government's response to a possible peace deal to end Yemen's war, the Houthis also released a statement saying they are prepared to restart negotiations provided that the Saudi-led coalition stops airstrikes and lifts its blockade of Houthi-held territories.

August 15-21: Coalition airstrikes continue, tens of thousands protest in San'a

Monday, August 15A Saudi-led coalition airstrike on a MSF hospital in Hajja province killed at least 11 people and wounded 19. A statement by MSF says that this was the fourth facility operated by the organization that was targeted in less than 12 months. The spokesperson for the coalition has not yet responded to a request for a comment as to why the hospital was targeted. The attack comes following a Saturday coalition airstrike on a school that killed ten children.

Fifteen detainees at Guantanamo, 12 Yemenis and three Afghan men ages 36-66, were released last weekend and sent to the UAE. Most of them were brought to the prison when they were in their early 20’s, over 12 years ago, without ever being convicted of a crime. This is the single largest transfer under the Obama administration and the prison’s population could be reduced to less than 50 prisoners by the end of the summer.

CNN interviewed Hakim Almasmari, the editor-in-chief of Yemen Post, and Hisham al-Omeisy, a Yemeni journalist and political analyst, to learn more about the recent Saudi bombings and the daily struggles that Yemeni civilians are facing because of the war.

“At least 22 million people, civilians, sleep hungry in Yemen right now,” says Almasmari, “Millions of jobs lost and infrastructure destroyed. Food is scarce in Yemen and poverty is reaching unbelievable levels.”

Tuesday, August 16 WNYC’s The Takeaway talks with journalist Iona Craig about the war in Yemen, American and British arms sales to Saudi Arabia, and the obstacles preventing essential food and medical aid from reaching Yemeni civilians.

Senior Humanitarian Policy Advisor at Oxfam America, Scott Paul, recently traveled to Yemen and shares his thoughts on what Yemen needs from local actors and the international community.

Turkish outlet Anadolu Agency reports that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has stated that he rejects the “coup’ in Yemen and reiterated his support for the “legitimacy” of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi while emphasizing that Egypt would remain standing “side by side with the Gulf States and the other Arab countries in the Arab Coalition to support legitimacy in Yemen until the coalition has achieved all of its goals.” 

Wednesday, August 17 The New York Times editorial board published a piece condemning US support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, urging governments to put pressure on the coalition to stop targeting civilians and negotiate a peace deal.

“Mr. Obama has...supplied the coalition such indispensable assistance as intelligence, in-flight refueling of aircraft and help in identifying appropriate targets. Experts say the coalition would be grounded if Washington withheld its support. Instead, the State Department last week approved the potential sale of $1.15 billion more in tanks and other equipment to Saudi Arabia to replace items destroyed in the war. Congress has the power to block this sale.”

Amnesty International is calling on Houthi authorities to release 27 members of the Baha’i religion who are being detained without charge in San’a.

“The arbitrary arrests of Bahá’í people for doing nothing more than attending a peaceful community event is completely unjustifiable. It is just the latest example of authorities’ persecution of minority faiths,” said Magdalena Mughrabi, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme.

A confidential report by the World Bank, the United Nations, Islamic Development Bank, and the European Union claims that damages to Yemen’s infrastructure and economy caused by the war amount to $14 billion.

"The conflict has so far resulted in damage costs (still partial and incomplete) of almost $7 billion and economic losses (in nominal terms) of over $7.3 billion in relation to production and service delivery."

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for the third time this week for the immediate cessation of all hostilities and for the Yemeni parties to return to the recently-ended direct talks.

“Civilians, including children, are paying the heaviest price in the ongoing conflict, as civilian infrastructure, such as schools and hospitals, continue to be hit,” said a statement issued by Ban’s spokesperson.

Thursday, August 18 Doctors Without Borders has been forced to evacuate from six hospitals in Sa’dah and Hajjah provinces after the organization determined that the facilities are unsafe for patients and staff. Malak Shaher, MSF’s communications manager in Yemen, says that the indiscriminate Saudi airstrikes and the coalition’s unwillingness to provide assurances prevent continued operations at the hospitals.

Friday, August 19 The Saudi-led coalition expressed “deep regret” over MSF’s decision on Thursday to evacuate from north Yemen hospitals due to indiscriminate bombings by the coalition.

“The coalition said it was committed to respecting international humanitarian law in all its operations in Yemen and had set up an independent team to investigate incidents in which civilians were killed.”

US officials told Reuters that American military personnel assisting the Saudi-led coalition were withdrawn from Yemen in June. The officials claim that this withdrawal is unrelated to increased scrutiny of American participation in coalition bombings, and there is the possibility that staff will return to Yemen “if the strikes intensify.”

“‘The shift does not diminish U.S. commitment to supporting Saudi-led military operations. The JCPC forward team that was in Saudi Arabia is now in Bahrain,’ said Chris Sherwood, a Pentagon spokesman, who added that U.S. aerial tankers continue to refuel Saudi aircraft.”

In an interview with Yemen Today, the Russian Chargé d’Affaires in San’a, Oleg Dremov, endorsed the ruling council recently-formed by Saleh and the Houthis. Despite this statement, Dremov later reiterated his support for Hadi’s government.  

Saturday, August 20 Tens of thousands of Yemenis gathered in San’a’s Sab’aeen Square to protest Saudi-led coalition airstrikes and to support a governing council recently formed by Saleh’s GPC and the Houthis.

“As the rally was underway, three air strikes targeted the presidential compound located 600 meters away from the square without causing casualties," residents told Reuters.

Journalists Iona Craig and Hisham al-Omeisy spoke with the BBC on Saturday’s mass demonstrations in San’a to protest continued coalition airstrikes and to support the Houthi and Saleh governing coalition.

An anonymous Houthi source told Turkish outlet Anadolu Agency that the UN Special Envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed traveled to Muscat, Oman to meet with Houthi representatives to discuss the next round of peace talks.

CNN interviewed Senator Chris Murphy about the US and the UK’s complicity in Saudi war crimes in Yemen, and the efforts that are being made to block weapons deals and ban cluster bombs. Although the title states that the US is distancing itself from the coalition in Yemen, it is not clear if that is the case, and it is likely that the US will continue to supply intelligence, and certainly weapons, to Saudi Arabia and its allies.

Sunday, August 21 Speaking to Russia 24, Saleh said the newly-formed governing council (consisting of the GPC and the Houthis) would be open to granting Russia access to Yemen’s military bases for the purposes of fighting terrorism.

"In the fight against terrorism we reach out and offer all facilities. Our airports, our ports... We are ready to provide this to the Russian Federation," said Saleh on Sunday.

August 8-14: Dozens of civilians killed in renewed Saudi airstrikes

Monday, August 8The end of the Kuwait talks on Saturday lead to a collapse of Yemen's already unstable ceasefire. Saudi-led coalition warplanes bombed Nehm near San’a over the weekend, killing 18 civilians, in an attack that reportedly aimed to drive Houthi forces out of the capital.

“They targeted only civilians,” a pharmacist who was witness to the attacks said. “There wasn’t a single gunman or military vehicle around.”

The Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies released its July review of UN efforts to resolve Yemen’s conflict. According to the report, the unilateral formation of a governing council by the Houthis and Saleh has undermined the peace process and the premature conclusion of the Kuwait talks will likely lead to increased fighting.

The review also states that the UN Security Council has “not shown the degree of political will and investment toward the crisis in Yemen commensurate with finding a solution.” Furthermore, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has to date "received only 27% of the US$1.8 billion it says it needs to implement its 2016 humanitarian crisis response plan in Yemen. "

Tuesday, August 9 At least 13 people were killed during a coalition airstrike on a chips factory in San'a. Residents say the factory was inside of an army maintenance camp that has repeatedly been hit by airstrikes. The majority of the deaths were women working at the factory.

The US has approved the sale to Saudi Arabia of 153 tanks worth $1.2 billion. Twenty of these tanks are replacements for the hundreds reportedly destroyed in battle in Yemen.

Wednesday, August 10 Spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, General Ahmed al-Asiri, defended Tuesday’s airstrike on a food factory in the capital, claiming that the coalition is “not striking Sanaa, we are providing air support for the loyal army to the government in Nehm and we strike the positions of the forces belonging to Ali Abdullah Saleh and to the militia's outer ring of the capital Sanaa.”

AP reported that there are no visible Houthi camps in the vicinity of the factory and their nearest post is a mile away, but other outlets report that the factory was located within an army maintenance camp.

Thursday, August 11 Khalid Abdullah, a 65-year-old Red Crescent volunteer, was shot and killed in Ta’iz where he was working to set up a food distribution center. Where the shot came from or whether it was deliberate is not known. Khalid is the tenth Yemen Red Crescent Society volunteer to be killed in the country since the war started in March 2015.

Middle East Monitor looks back on the Kuwait negotiations and explains some of the factors that led to their collapse. These include the absence of Yemen’s local actors and a disregard for the country’s socio-political environment, as well as a financial crisis and an unwillingness by both sides to come to an agreement.

Diana Alghoul writes, “It was obvious that the delegates were not there to find a solution for lasting peace, but to hold on to the most power. The fact that they were present without a clear motivation to work with each other and end the violence meant that they were still working against each other, but on a diplomatic front in the full view of the international community.”

The main bridge leading from the port city of al-Hudaydah to San’a was destroyed by a Saudi-led coalition airstrike. The bridge was the supply route for 90% of the World Food Programme’s aid from al-Hudaydah to the capital and its destruction will likely deprive many civilians of critical food supplies.

Friday, August 12 The UN human rights office says that civilian deaths in Yemen are “steadily mounting,” with more than 200 killed and 500 wounded in the previous four months, including 50 in just one week.

UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, Jamie McGoldrick, released a statement condemning the intensification of violence. “Local media reports indicate that children and women are being killed and maimed, homes destroyed, and that a food factory and a market have been damaged or destroyed by both ground fighting and airstrikes, particularly in Sana’a city and the Governorates of Sana’a, Sa’ada, Taizz, and Al Hudaydah.”

Friday marked the fourth consecutive day of airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition following the collapse of peace talks. A presidential compound and a military base in San’a were the targets of Friday’s bombings.

Saturday, August 13 UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson issued a statement on the escalating violence in Yemen and called for a renewed ceasefire. He also condemned the recent move by the Houthis and Saleh to unilaterally form a governing council.

A coalition airstrike on a school in Sa’dah killed 10 children, ages 8-15, and wounded 38 others. The reason behind the targeting is unclear, but coalition spokesman General Ahmed al-Asiri released a statement claiming that the airstrike in fact hit a Houthi training camp and that children were present there as recruits. Local outlets reported that the children were taking an exam at the time.

Sunday, August 14 Yemeni forces backed by coalition aircraft have pushed al-Qaeda out of Zinjibar and Jaar and have "taken complete control of both cities,” according to Abyan Governor Al-Khader Mohammed al-Saidi. Forty members of AQAP were said to have been killed in the fighting. This is not the first time that Hadi’s government has claimed to have defeated AQAP in Abyan province, so it is unclear whether they have in fact been expelled from both cities.

Senator Rand Paul is considering forcing a vote to block a US arms sale to Saudi Arabia worth $1.15 billion. Paul explained his protest of the sale saying, “Saudi Arabia is an unreliable ally with a poor human rights record. We should not rush to sell them advanced arms and promote an arms race in the Middle East.”

The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency says that the sale, “conveys US commitment to Saudi Arabia’s security and armed forces modernization.”

August 1-7: Kuwait talks adjourned, confidential UN report leaked

Monday, August 1A 16th-century Ta’iz mosque housing a shrine to Sufi scholar Sheikh Abdulhadi al-Sudi was blown up by Islamist extremists, according to a local official who spoke to AFP. Yemen’s commission for antiquities and museums said that the mosque was one of Ta’iz’s most beautiful.

Torrential rains struck Yemen last week, killing eight in San’a’s suburbs, flooding streets and crops, and damaging property.

Negotiators from Hadi’s government in the Kuwait talks announced they were leaving after Houthi delegates refused to sign a UN-proposed deal that would require the Houthis to withdraw from seized territory and hand in their weapons before reconvening to form a government that would ostensibly include the Houthis.

Foreign Minister Abdel-Malek al-Mekhlafi said that the government delegation was not abandoning the talks, but was simply leaving Kuwait until the Houthi delegation signed onto the initiative.

The United Nations World Food Programme reports a nearly five-fold increase in the number of Yemenis (approximately 600,000) to whom it has provided assistance since this February, especially in hard-to-reach areas such as Ta’iz. The increase of aid provisions is thanks to a locally driven voucher initiative, the Commodity-Voucher through Traders’ Network (CV-TN) project, which allows WFP to supply food commodities to families through a contracted local retailer in exchange for vouchers.

Tuesday, August 2 UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon announced that Saudi Arabia will not be returned to the blacklist it was previously included on for violating children’s rights in Yemen. The removal in June was said to be temporary as a joint panel reviewed the accusations, but Saudi Arabia was taken off the list due to threats to cut funding to UN humanitarian programs.

The US Department of State’s Central Command announced two additional airstrikes in Yemen targeting al-Qaeda operatives. A July 8 strike reportedly killed one militant and a July 16 strike killed six more and injured one. Centcom claims that these airstrikes “continue to diminish AQAP’s presence in the region,” but AQAP in Yemen has managed to expand its territory and increase its income in recent years.

Wednesday, August 3 New UN figures indicate that approximately 370,000 children in Yemen are facing starvation and more than 14 million people, or half of Yemen’s population, are in urgent need of food and medical aid. This is a 50% increase from a year ago due to the ongoing 15-month-long war.

Thursday, August 4 A Saudi-led investigation into alleged war crimes committed by the coalition the kingdom is leading in Yemen predictably concluded that air strikes on markets and clinics, which resulted in high civilian death tolls, were largely in line with international law.

“Measures taken by the coalition forces were sound and conformed to the rules and laws of the Geneva Accords," said Mansour bin Ahmed Mansour, spokesman for the investigative body. Mr. Mansour admits that there were a few shortcomings and instances where the coalition lacked proper intelligence.

A confidential UN report has concluded that all parties in Yemen’s conflict have violated international humanitarian law. Within the six-month period covered in the report, Houthi fighters were found to have used civilians as shields to avoid attacks while the Saudi-led coalition deliberately bombed a civilian house, killing four children.

Friday, August 5 The Norwegian Refugee Council released a statement to mark 500 days since the escalation of Yemen’s crisis and start of the Saudi-led intervention. During these 500 days, 6,500 civilians have been killed and 32,000 injured, while eight out of 10 Yemenis are in need of humanitarian aid, which is often inaccessible due to blockades imposed by both the Houthis and the Saudi coalition.

“Despite the staggering figures of ordinary Yemenis suffering because of the raging conflict, the outside world has kept its eyes shut to this crisis,” said NRC’s Country Director in Yemen, Syma Jamil. “The situation for Yemenis keeps deteriorating and it is now untenable. Yemenis won’t be able to cope for much longer.”

Saturday, August 6 The Houthis and the GPC announced that they are pushing forward with a ten-member council to govern Yemen, a move that is denounced by UN envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed. The initiative is said to violate UN Security Council resolutions, but the Houthis claim that they will still participate in the Kuwait negotiations.

The negotiations, however, are adjourned for a month and are likely to resume in a different location. UN Special Envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said that, although the Kuwait talks have finished without a breakthrough, negotiations will continue. Ould Cheikh Ahmed stated that all parties are committed to reaching an agreement, but the envoy criticised the Houthis’ and Saleh’s move to form a ruling council to govern Yemen.

Yemen's government asked international financial institutions to prevent officials from the Central Bank of Yemen from accessing state funds held in overseas banks, according to state-run sabanews.net. The move comes after Prime Minister Ahmed bin Daghr claimed to have received information that central bank officials were tapping Yemen’s foreign reserves held in European and American banks.

Sunday, August 7 Residents in the provinces of San’a, Ta’iz, Sa’dah, al-Jawf, and Hajjah report 30 airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition on Sunday alone. There were no civilian casualties reported, but 40 fighters from both sides were said to be killed north of San’a.

July 25-31: Hadi’s government threatens to withdraw from talks, Houthis reject UN peace deal

Monday, July 25Last week, the UK’s Foreign Office released corrections to a multitude of previous claims that the government had concluded that Saudi Arabia has not breached international humanitarian law in Yemen. The corrections state that the government is, in fact, unable to assess whether breaches have taken place. Due to these corrections, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is facing calls to change UK policy and back an investigation into Saudi Arabia’s likely war crimes in Yemen.

Some Arab leaders met for the 2016 Arab League Summit in Mauritania to discuss the region’s crises, including the war in Yemen. The summit was poorly attended, however, and was cut short to one day. President Hadi was one of the few leaders in attendance. He spoke about Yemen’s conflict, calling the continued air strikes on Yemen “a spark of hope,” and explained that the only way towards peace is for the Houthis to abide by UN Security Resolution 2216, requiring them to hand in their arms and withdraw from seized territory.

Tuesday, July 26 Saudi jets launched airstrikes today against the Houthis after rebel forces crossed the Saudi border on Monday and killed five border guards. Al-Arabiya reported that “tens of Houthi” fighters were killed in the subsequent aerial attacks. The Houthi attacks reportedly led to eight hours of clashes between tribesmen and Saudi forces.

Amnesty International is calling on warring parties to allow “full and unfettered access” to organizations providing much-needed aid to Yemenis suffering from a lack of food, fuel, and medical treatment. Some areas that are in the most desperate need of aid are unable to receive supplies, due to both Houthi restrictions and the Saudi-led coalition’s refusal to coordinate with aid groups.

“Humanitarian organizations are already struggling to cope with destroyed infrastructure and dangerous working conditions, and it is absurd that the delivery of aid is hinging on the coalition’s ad-hoc rules – people’s lives are on the line,” said Lama Fakih, Senior Crisis Advisor at Amnesty International.

Pro-government forces captured the village of al-Sarari from the Houthis after intense fighting for three days. Following the clashes, Houthi outlets claimed that pro-government fighters were committing war crimes by killing and arresting dozens of civilians and destroying the mosque of Sheikh Jamal ad-Deen. Many of these claims appear to be unsubstantiated.

Wednesday, July 27 The lives of 4,400 Yemenis with renal failure are at risk due to a lack of medical supplies. Patients need three dialysis sessions per week, but these has been reduced to two for many patients because of the scarcity of supplies. Medecins Sans Frontieres is calling on international organizations to provide Yemen’s dialysis centers with the critical supplies that could save these patients’ lives.

“There are treatment facilities in the country and there are adequate numbers of trained staff,” says William Turner, MSF head of mission in Yemen. “The imperative now is for these centres to receive regular medical supplies so they can continue to provide reliable lifesaving treatment. The war has crippled the health system’s financial ability to import the necessary supplies, making the need for external support of the highest priority.”

Thursday, July 28 The UN is calling for a humanitarian truce in Ta’iz to allow aid to be delivered and for those wounded to be evacuated. The call comes following heavy fighting in the province.

“It is unacceptable to hold civilian populations hostage and deprived of humanitarian assistance in pursuit of political and military gains. All parties who violate international humanitarian law must remember that they could be held to account,” says Jamie McGoldrick, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen.

The Houthis and Saleh announced that they will establish a governing council to run Yemen, claiming that the deal would be open to all sides, allowing rival parties to “join this national agreement actively.” Hadi and UN Special Envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed are condemning the move as destructive to peace talks and in violation of UN resolution 2216, which requires the Houthis "to refrain from further unilateral actions that could undermine the political transition in Yemen.” Saba News reports that the Houthi spokesman says the new agreement will have no impact on the Kuwait talks.

According to a statement released by the Houthis, the new council would entail a rotating leadership including a president and a deputy from each ally and manage state affairs on the basis of the existing constitution.

Friday, July 29 Saudi Arabia denies accusations by humanitarian groups that the coalition is blocking aid access to Yemenis.

"The coalition is not imposing a siege or an economic boycott on Yemeni territory," the coalition said in a statement in SPA state news agency, adding that it "is fulfilling its duties towards implementing UN resolutions that aim to prevent weapons and ammunitions" from reaching Yemen.

UK Chancellor and former foreign secretary Philip Hammond is now facing calls for a Commons motion of contempt after issuing a statement claiming that the Saudi-led coalition was been shown to be in compliance with international humanitarian law in Yemen. His answers, and those of other MPs, were shown to be false as no proper assessment of the coalition’s actions had been conducted.

Saturday, July 30 There were reports that Hadi’s government withdrew from the Kuwait talks in response to plans by the Houthis and former president Saleh to form a coalition administration, which was seen as an attempt to legitimize Houthi rule. Spokesperson for UN chief Ban Ki-moon said this decision by the Houthis “was not in line with the peace process and endangered the substantial progress made during the Kuwait talks."

An important piece in the New York Times describes what happens to those imprisoned in Guantanamo for years without trial or charge. Many of them have no affiliation with militant groups, yet some remain in custody for over a decade only to one day be transferred to a country completely foreign to them to rebuild their lives.

UN Special Envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed proposed an extension to the peace talks after Hadi’s government threatened to withdraw. Kuwait announced the week before that the delegations had two weeks to reach a deal before Kuwait would no longer host them. Al Arabiya English reported that the warring parties may reconvene in Oman.

Sunday, July 31 Hadi’s delegation reportedly accepted a UN peace deal largely based on their government's original demands--requiring the Houthis to withdraw from seized territories and hand in their weapons. The Houthis rejected the agreement, demanding that a unity government be formed first. The peace deal stipulates that a political dialogue between the parties would only take place 45 days after the Houthis give up their weapons and territory.

June 27-July 3: IS attacks kill dozens, Kuwait talks adjourn for Eid

Monday, June 27Three bomb attacks by the Islamic State group on Yemeni government forces killed 38 and wounded 24 in Mukalla on Monday, according to medics and security sources.

The first explosion occurred as an attacker detonated his suicide vest at a checkpoint near Mukalla, while the second blast was from a car bomb at the city’s military intelligence headquarters. The last was an improvised explosive device which went off as soldiers were preparing to break fast for Ramadan.

Representatives from the Houthi delegation and the Hadi government announced plans to suspend talks in Kuwait in time for Eid al-Fitr, the end of the holy month of Ramadan. They will reportedly return to talks in mid-July.

One of the negotiators, a minister in Hadi’s government said "the return to the talks is meant to save face after reaching a deadlock."

The deadlock he is likely referring to is the refusal of the Houthis to meet the demands of the Hadi government and UN Security Resolution 2216 which would require them to relinquish their seized weapons and territory before a unity government is formed.

Tuesday, June 28 A Saudi-led airstrike in Houthi-controlled Ta’iz killed upwards of 25 people, including at least 10 civilians, according to security officials. The strike also wounded eight civilians. Most of the victims were shoppers or storekeepers in the area.

A report by Reuters explains how the UAE’s role in Yemen has evolved from targeting the Houthis to implementing what some see as an effective new strategy in counterterrorism. The UAE has apparently proven itself to be one of America's most important allies in fighting Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

“Retired General Anthony Zinni, former chief of U.S. Central Command, told Reuters the UAE was ‘a top military’ in the region and ‘exponentially more capable than its size might indicate...It has also shown the ability to hang in there despite casualties ... (The UAE) has proven its willingness to fight alongside the U.S. and coalitions.’”

Wednesday, June 29 Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International are calling for the removal of Saudi Arabia from the United Nations Human Rights Council due to the country’s “gross and systematic violations of human rights.” The groups accuse Saudi Arabia of obstructing justice for possible war crimes and demand that the country’s membership be revoked until it ends its “unlawful attacks in Yemen.”

Both groups, among a number of other organizations, have documented violations of humanitarian and international law committed by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, including the targeting of civilian areas and the use of internationally-banned cluster bombs.

Peace talks in Kuwait, which started two months ago, adjourned for two weeks for Eid al-Fitr, and are set to resume on July 15.

"The two delegations will use the coming two weeks to meet their respective leaderships," UN Special Envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said in a statement.

"(They) will then return to Kuwait with practical recommendations on how to implement the necessary mechanisms that will enable them to sign a peace accord and thus end the conflict in Yemen."

Thursday, June 30 In response to the demand by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International that Saudi Arabia be suspended from the UN’s Human Rights Council, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the council Faisal Trad said that his country is “keen” to abide by international law and assist humanitarian organizations.

"With regard to Yemen, Saudi Arabia and the coalition (are) keen to abide by international humanitarian law and apply the highest international rules of engagement which corresponds with international regulations," Ambassador Trad wrote.

Saudi Arabia was recently charged in a UN report with being the group responsible for the highest number of child deaths in Yemen in the past year, but was quickly removed after Saudi officials threatened to withdraw funding from UN-sponsored programs if it was not taken off the blacklist.

The Houthis and Hadi’s government have exchanged a total of more than 700 prisoners, including more than 50 children, since the start of the peace talks two months ago, the UN special envoy for Yemen said. Most of these prisoner exchanges have been coordinated by local and tribal officials. Details of each exchange, including the number released by each side, was not provided.

Friday, July 1 The Obama administration released on Friday internal estimates showing that up to 116 civilians have been killed during US strikes against suspected terrorists in the past seven years. The estimates, which have not previously been released, include strikes by manned and unmanned aircraft outside combat zones, such as Yemen, Pakistan, Somalia, and Libya. Estimates by independent organizations of civilian casualties as a result of such strikes place the death toll much higher.

The number of civilians killed in strikes in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan were not announced by the government. Between 2,372 and 2,581 so-called “combatants” were killed in the non-combat zones over the same period.

The report comes as security officials and Yemeni tribesmen say that at least three suspected al-Qaeda militants were killed in a drone strike in Shabwa on Thursday.

Saturday, July 2 Seven Houthi fighters and three pro-government forces were killed in clashes in Nihm district, east of San’a, according to security officials.

Houthi-run Yemen News Agency said the violence erupted when Houthi forces "repulsed an attempt by pro-government forces to advance to Yam Mount, east of Nihm district.”

Al Jazeera reports on the 200,000 civilians impacted by the 15-month-long Houthi siege on Ta’iz. The city is experiencing a severe shortage of food, water, fuel, and medical supplies. Thirty-seven out of the 40 hospitals in Ta’iz have been forced to close and aid organizations say they are regularly prevented from delivering essential supplies to the city.

Sunday, July 3 Mareb Press reports that Yemen’s government has announced that, in the case of the Kuwait talks failing, peace will be imposed by force. Meanwhile, a prominent member of the Houthi delegation foresees a military escalation in the coming days.

“Spokesman for the Yemeni government Rajeh Badi said in an interview with Al Jazeera that the Houthi militias and forces loyal to ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh only understand the language of force, adding that the Yemeni government realized that the Houthis only came to Kuwait to legitimize the coup.”

A member of the Houthi delegation reportedly expects the military escalation during Eid al-Fitr, which would "aim to undo the progress of the Kuwait talks."

June 20-26: Ceasefire violations kill dozens, UN urges immediate resolution

Tuesday, June 21Following two months of negotiations in Kuwait, UN Special Envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed urged the country’s warring parties to finalize a peace deal as soon as possible. The envoy emphasized that now is the time for both the Houthis and Hadi’s government to make concessions. He added that the recently introduced roadmap to resolve the conflict, which outlines the formation and responsibilities of a national unity government, has been received positively by both sides.

The Saudi-led coalition said that it intercepted a ballistic missile fired in Marib, while locals say a Saudi airstrike in Lahj caused eight civilian casualties. The exchange is one of many instances of violations of the ceasefire by all sides of the conflict.

Decades after the disappearance of thousands of Yemeni Jewish children in Israel between 1948 and 1954, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is calling to “reveal the truth about the Yemenite children,” saying that “the time has come to know what happened and to do justice here.”

Between 1,500 and 5,000 Sephardic children, mainly Yemenite toddlers, were reported missing during the period following Israel’s founding. Many parents were told that their children had died, sparking claims they were kidnapped and given to Ashkenazi couples.

Wednesday, June 22 A senior UN official said that already limited food distribution in Yemen will be forced to scale back by August because of severe funding shortages.

“About 14 million people, or roughly half the country's population, suffer from food insecurity at ‘crisis’ or ‘emergency’ levels,” said George Khoury, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Yemen. Emergency level is just one step before famine on the UN's food insecurity scale. About $200 million is reportedly needed to keep food distribution at current levels in the coming months.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met with Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss improving civilian protection in Yemen, and other regional issues. The meeting, requested by the Saudis, comes following the release of a UN report that originally listed the Saudi-led coalition as the group responsible for the most child deaths in Yemen in the past year. The coalition was removed from the list after Saudi Arabia threatened to withdraw funding from UN programs. Ban claims to stand by the original report.

Yemeni Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Mohammed al-Maitami said that an evaluation of war damages in six Yemeni governorates has been completed, with initial estimates reaching $12 billion.

The survey focused on six major sectors including health, education, electricity, and water. Maitami added that the study was carried out by the Yemeni government in cooperation with experts from the European Union and the United Nations Development Program.

Thursday, June 23 Residents of Ja’ar and Zinjibar reported that al-Qaeda fighters have returned to the southern cities a month after their negotiated withdrawal. Militants are now said to be seen during the day driving pickup trucks mounted with anti-aircraft guns and retreating to hideouts at night.

The Yemeni government said that Houthi forces must withdraw from all territories seized since 2014 and hand back control of state institutions ahead of any political settlement.

Meanwhile, the Houthi delegation said it would not agree to any deal on military and security issues until there was an agreement on a consensus president and a national unity government to oversee the transition. This disagreement on the sequence of a political settlement has long been one of the major sticking points in the negotiations.

Friday, June 24 Clashes across Yemen, including in Jawf province and Ta’iz, killed 22 Houthis and 11 pro-government forces, according to military officials. Eight of the pro-government casualties were killed by friendly fire from a Saudi-led airstrike that missed its target.

Saturday, June 25 Former president Ali Abdullah Saleh spoke to constituents and reporters about the ongoing war, the peace talks in Kuwait, and the role of foreign powers in Yemen’s conflict. Following reports that Riyadh has been proposed as the location for the signing of a peace deal between Yemen’s government-in-exile and the Houthis, Saleh claimed that the GPC will never travel to Saudi Arabia, even if it means that the war will continue for decades. This is despite the fact that many GPC members have resided in Saudi Arabia since the beginning of the war.

Sunday, June 26 Saudi-led airstrikes killed at least seven people in Yemen on Sunday, according to residents. Two women died in an airstrike on a home located between the provinces of Ta’iz and Lahj, and five were killed in Khawlan, southeast of San’a. It is unclear if the casualties from the Khawlan strike were civilians.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said "serious violations" have been committed in Yemen’s current ceasefire, and called on warring parties to reach a peace deal before the conflict claims more casualties.

"Whilst the cessation of hostilities is mostly holding, there have been serious violations, causing further casualties and suffering among the civilian population, including children." 

Ban added that time is not on Yemen’s side, saying that, "There is an alarming scarcity of basic food items. The economy is in precarious condition.”

June 13-19: Mass prisoner swap in Ta'iz, UAE wavers on ending war

Monday, June 13A suspected US drone strike in central Shabwa province killed three alleged Al-Qaeda fighters, according to Yemeni security officials. The officials also said that UAE and Saudi forces were simultaneously conducting raids on homes of suspected al-Qaeda operatives in Mukalla and reportedly detained 150 suspects.

Tuesday, June 14 Due to the ongoing intense fighting in Ta’iz, medical facilities run by Medecins Sans Frontieres have reportedly treated 1,624 people, including over 700 civilians, since the ceasefire began in April.

Will Turner, MSF head of mission, recalled seeing in an MSF emergency room “two young children lying in beds next to each other. The boy had been hit by a bullet in the neck as he left the mosque; the girl next to him had her stomach ripped open by a bullet as she waited to collect water.” Turner added that “Such tragic stories occur on a daily basis in Ta’iz. This is totally unacceptable.”

Saudi Ambassador Abdallah Al-Mouallimi sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon requesting the sources that were used to create the report that initially listed the Saudi-led coalition as being responsible for the majority of child casualties in Yemen during the last year.

“Mouallimi's letter to Ban expressed ‘his sincere appreciation for the removal’ of the coalition from the blacklist and reaffirmed what he said was its respect for, and compliance with, international humanitarian and human rights law.”

UN officials said they did not believe it was possible to disclose sources used to create the report, but human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law by the coalition, including the targeting of schools and hospitals and indiscriminate bombing of residential areas, have been documented by a number of humanitarian organizations.

Wednesday, June 15 According to a tweet by Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash had given a speech saying the “war [in Yemen] is over for our troops.”

The Arabic version of the same quote said that the war was over “for practical purposes.”

Yemeni security officials also reported on Wednesday that fighting between the Houthis and pro-government forces around Ta’iz and in Shabwa, Jawf, and Marib provinces killed at least 48 people and wounded 65 in the previous day.

The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs released Yemen’s health overview for 2016. The report states that at least 50% of the country’s health facilities are not functioning properly or at all and only 30% of necessary medical supplies are being allowed to enter Yemen. The war is also disproportionately affecting pregnant women, people suffering from chronic diseases, and children under five (whose mortality rate has increased by 23% since the start of the conflict).

Of the $182.3 million in aid money that the UNOCHA needs immediately to assist victims of the conflict, only 16% has been funded.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric rejected the Saudi-led coalition’s request to view the sources of information used in the report on violations of children's rights during armed conflicts, which charged the coalition as being responsible for the majority of child deaths in Yemen in the past year.

"Protecting the sources of information that are used in this report, or any other report, is paramount, especially in a conflict area," Dujarric said. "But we obviously welcome any information that the Saudi-led coalition may want to share with us."

Thursday, June 16 The US House failed to pass a measure that would have banned the transfer of cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia. The vote was close, however, indicating a decrease in support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.

The White House placed a hold last month on a transfer of CBU-105 cluster bombs, but a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.), is trying to place a complete arms embargo on the kingdom until it stops deliberately targeting civilians in Yemen.

Friday, June 17 UAE Foreign Minister Gargash denied saying that the war in Yemen is over for UAE troops. Gargash later claimed that his statement, which was posted on Twitter by Deputy Supreme Commander of UAE forces and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed, was “taken out of context and misinterpreted for external agenda that seek to undermine the region and the GCC in particular.”

The US military is extending the deployment of anti-terrorism special forces units in Yemen for the foreseeable future. US officials said the team of about a dozen men, who were first deployed in April, would assist troops from the UAE in fighting Al-Qaeda around Mukalla.

Saturday, June 18 Nearly 200 prisoners were swapped in Ta’iz--118 Houthis exchanged for 76 pro-government fighters--in what is reportedly the largest swap to take place in the city since the beginning of the war. Like prior prisoner exchanges, it was arranged by local groups, not high-level officials in Kuwait.

June 6-12: Saudi coalition removed from blacklist, shelling continues in Ta'iz

Monday, June 6According to UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, Yemen's warring parties agreed to the unconditional release of all child prisoners. There was no immediate word on how many children are held prisoner by either side. The announcement comes following the UN's annual report on children and armed combat, which detailed abuses by all sides of Yemen's conflict. The parties have so far failed to reach an agreement on a wider prisoner release for the month of Ramadan.

Saudi Arabia unleashed harsh criticism of the UN following the inclusion of the kingdom in an annual report on children in armed combat, which named the Saudi-led coalition as the side responsible for most of the child casualties in Yemen in the past year. Saudi coalition spokesman Brigadier General Ahmed al-Asiri said that the findings were based on inadequate evidence supplied by Saudi Arabia’s adversaries.

Medecins Sans Frontieres reported that its hospitals in Ta’iz received 122 people on June 3 alone following intense fighting and continuous shelling in the war-torn city.

Tuesday, June 7 Following protests by Saudi officials of the UN’s decision to blacklist the coalition in Yemen, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon removed Riyadh from the report. The UN said it would carry out a review of the accusations, but the Saudi envoy to the UN called the decision “final.”

The reversal was a result of Saudi Arabia threatening to sever ties with the UN and withdraw hundreds of millions of dollars in humanitarian assistance and counterterrorism programs.

Human rights groups condemned the removal of the Saudi-led coalition from the report, with Amnesty International saying it is “unconscionable that this pressure was brought to bear by one of the very states listed in the report,” while Human Rights Watch accused the UN of “capitulating to the demands of Saudi Arabia,” adding that the move “undermines Ban’s human rights initiatives and taints his legacy.”

Also on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia reportedly released 54 child prisoners between the ages of 8 and 17 to Yemen government forces. The children were captured during fighting with the Houthis. The move is intended to show that Yemen’s government and the Saudi-led military coalition “reject the Houthi crime of using children in war.”

Wednesday, June 8 Yemen was named in the 2016 Global Peace Index as the country that experienced the most rapid decline in peacefulness within the past year. Although it still ranks higher than Syria, which is at the bottom of the list, Yemen’s peacefulness was estimated to have dropped 15% within one year, more than any other nation.

The report found Yemen had suffered its biggest losses as a result of increases in death from conflict and “a massive rise in the number of refugees and internally-displaced people.”

Thursday, June 9 Commenting on the removal of the Saudi-led coalition from the UN blacklist, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he had to consider “the very real prospect that millions of other children would suffer grievously if, as was suggested to me, countries would defund many U.N. programs.”

The programs that would have been impacted include humanitarian assistance in South Sudan, the Palestinian territories, and Syria.

Mr. Ban said he stood by the annual report’s conclusions, but added that, “it is unacceptable for member states to exert undue pressure. Scrutiny is a natural and necessary part of the work of the United Nations.”

Friday, June 10 A Reuters report outlines the essential policies implemented by the Central Bank of Yemen, and its governor Mohammed Bin Humam, that have saved the country from total financial collapse.

"The CBY represents the last bastion of the financial system in the impoverished country and is effectively running the economy, according to central bank officials, foreign diplomats and Yemeni political sources on both sides of the war."

Despite the bank’s best efforts and practices, Yemen’s exports have ceased and it is running critically low on foreign exchange reserves.

The UN human rights office condemned a week of rocket and mortar attacks on markets and residential areas in Ta’iz that resulted in the death of 18, including seven children, and injured 68 others.

“All victims belonged to a marginalized community, the Muhamasheen, and had taken refuge in the school after having been forced to flee their homes due to ongoing violence,” the spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said.

Saturday, June 11 A short piece by Al Jazeera highlights the “immeasurable” crisis that Yemenis are facing during the holy month of Ramadan. With high temperatures and scarce electricity, along with a lack of food and water, Yemenis are fasting under extremely difficult circumstances.

“‘This could be the worst year in the history of Yemen, especially with the start of the holy month of Ramadan,’ Abdesalam al-Mahtoury, an economic analyst, said.”

May 9-15: Mukalla struck by series of IS bombings, UN talks push forward

Monday, May 9Over 800 workers were evicted from Aden by local pro-secessionist security forces on Sunday. Those forcibly removed from shops, restaurants, and homes in the southern city were mostly from Ta’iz, which is located in north Yemen according to the pre-1990 borders. The security forces, who were appointed by Hadi, deemed the northerners "a threat to security," but Hadi himself quickly condemned the evictions, calling them “unacceptable.”

Mukalla’s airport was reopened following the withdrawal of al-Qaeda forces, who occupied the port city for a year. The first flight reportedly arrived Sunday from the UAE carrying Red Crescent medical supplies.

Tuesday, May 10 US Central Command News Release announced recent drone strikes against al-Qaeda in Yemen. This update was issued at the same time as the Pentagon admitted to deploying “military advisors” in Yemen to assist the UAE in fighting al-Qaeda. “The U.S. military has conducted four counterterrorism airstrikes against the al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula terrorist organization in Yemen in recent weeks, killing 10 al-Qaida operatives and injuring one…”

Saudi coalition spokesman Brigadier General Ahmed al-Asiri has accused the Houthis and Saleh of direct cooperation with al-Qaeda. This is despite numerous reports within the last year that Saudi coalition forces have fought alongside al-Qaeda in their battle against the Houthis. Al-Asiri later said that if peace talks in Kuwait fail, the Saudi-led coalition is prepared to launch a military operation to enter San’a.

UN Special Envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said that both sides to the Kuwait talks reached an agreement to exchange half of all prisoners within the next 20 days. The number of total prisoners involved is unclear, and may range from a few hundred to a few thousand.

Wednesday, May 11 At least 10 troops were killed in three different attacks by IS militants who detonated car bombs outside military and naval bases in Mukalla. The attacks come a month after the city was retaken from al-Qaeda by Yemeni and UAE forces.

Thursday, May 12 The UN reports that Yemen’s food situation is on the verge of humanitarian disaster unless urgent funding is accessible for the Food and Agriculture Organization. The report states that agriculture must be an integral part of the humanitarian response plan, as aid organizations will not be able to provide the amount of food needed for the 14.4 million Yemenis urgently in need of assistance.

Friday, May 13 UN Envoy Ould Cheikh Ahmed reported that the Houthi and government delegations discussed proposals to bridge the gap between their respective visions, reaching consensus on some issues. He added that “progress is being achieved, albeit at a relatively slow pace.”

Sunday, May 15 The second IS suicide bombing in Mukalla in one week targeted a police base Sunday morning, killing 31 recruits who were waiting outside the building. Sixty were left critically injured.

AQAP's strategy to win Yemenis' hearts and minds

Elisabeth Kendall’s recent piece in The Washington Post reveals the true challenges of battling al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and explains why the organization has been able to maintain local support by using what Kendall describes as “Robin Hood” tactics. Despite widespread disapproval of al-Qaeda’s extremist ideology, many Yemenis living in towns controlled by militants will admit that the group has an ability to provide basic services, such as repairing water lines and resolving local disputes--things that Yemen’s government is frequently unable or unwilling to do.

Although AQAP still carried out periodic Sharia punishments, such as execution for adultery or sorcery and amputation for theft, its primary emphasis had shifted onto local power-sharing models accompanied by an energetic program of community development. To help fund this, it robbed the rich in the name of the poor. Three months ago, AQAP wrote to oil and telecoms companies in Mukalla, demanding large payments ‘in order to meet the needs of the people.’

The strategy of shoring up local support, or at least tolerance, for extremist Islamic groups by providing social services has also been implemented by the Islamic State group, Hezbollah, and the Muslim Brotherhood. This strategy is particularly effective in a war-torn country like Yemen, where militant groups can provide relative stability in the face of governmental ineptitude and dire need for basic services.

Kendall also notes that the recent ‘defeat’ of al-Qaeda in Mukalla, resulting in their departure from the city, may have, in fact, constituted an ideological victory for the group, as residents saw their decision to withdraw rather than fight as an effort to avoid civilian casualties.

Kendall concludes that the best strategy for fighting al-Qaeda may lie at the local level, rather than a military or “top-down” approach. As long as al-Qaeda is the only actor providing much-needed aid and support to Yemen’s marginalized communities, they will remain a strong and influential presence in the country.

February 14-20: new UN appeal; prominent Houthi leaders reportedly killed

Sunday February 14thA Saudi-led coalition air strike on a sewing workshop in San’a on Sunday killed at least two people, including a 14-year-old boy, and wounded 15, according to the shop’s owner. Houthi forces reported a death toll of 11 from the strike.

Human Rights Watch released a report on Sunday detailing the Saudi-led coalition’s use of internationally banned cluster munitions in Yemen. The munitions were manufactured in the United States and recently transferred to Saudi Arabia despite evidence that they do not meet US standards for weapons exports and have resulted in a number of civilian casualties.

Monday February 15th Mareb Press reported that the Houthi government has blocked access to most news and social media websites in Yemen, with Saba News being one of the few accessible sites. This comes as part of a larger crackdown by the Houthis on perceived opposition outlets since the rebel group seized control of San’a a year ago.

The World Food Programme announced on Monday that it managed to deliver much-needed food for 18,000 people in the Al-Qahirah area of Ta’iz on Saturday. The UN warned that residents of Ta’iz, one of ten Yemeni governorates facing an emergency-level food shortage, are in desperate need of external assistance.

Al Arabiya news reported that 59 Houthi fighters have been killed in recent Saudi-led airstrikes and clashes in Ta’iz, Marib, and eastern San’a. Those killed are said to include prominent Houthi leaders Yahya Al-Mutawakkil Taha and Yahya Zafran.

Tuesday February 16th The World Food Programme (WFP) announced on Tuesday that the humanitarian IT equipment that Saudi Arabia stopped from entering Yemen on one of its chartered ships last week, fearing it was meant for the Houthi militia, belonged to the UN. The organization said it was carrying a cargo of humanitarian relief supplies bound for the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeida, but was diverted by the coalition to the Saudi port of Jizan on February 11th.

Governor of Aden Aidarus al-Zubaidi and security director Shalal Ali Shayyeh escaped an assassination attempt when gunmen opened fire on their convoy in Aden on Tuesday, a security official said. Three of the gunmen were killed in an exchange of fire.

Armed men in Ta’iz fatally shot journalist Ahmed al-Shaibani on Tuesday. Al-Shaibani, who worked for the independent Yaman News website and state-run Yemen TV, was killed while reporting on fighting in Ta’iz by Houthi gunmen.

Wednesday February 17th In response to Saudi Arabia advising aid organizations to leave Houthi-controlled areas, Human Rights Watch released a statement saying that the warnings do not absolve the Saudi-led coalition from the legal obligation to protect humanitarian personnel and facilities from attack.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Stephen O’Brien announced that the Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan will be launched on Thursday to raise some $1.8 billion required to save millions of Yemenis from humanitarian catastrophe.

A suicide bomber killed at least 10 recruits at an army camp run by President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's government in Buraiqah, Aden on Wednesday, medical sources and an official said. Al Arabiya reports that IS claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement circulated on Twitter.

A US federal judge ruled on Wednesday that the State Department wrongfully seized the passport of Mosed Shaye Omar, a naturalized US citizen, when he went to Yemen in 2013 to help his daughter apply for a US passport. The 64-year-old was accused of immigration fraud at the US embassy in San’a where he was detained, interrogated, deprived of food and water for a day, and coerced into signing a false confession. Shaye Omar is one of a number of Yemeni-Americans who have been subjected to similar treatment.

Thursday February 18th Amnesty says that financial figures from British-based defence contractor BAE reveal that the company’s net gain last year of close to £1 billion is due to sales made to the Royal Saudi Air Force, which has been bombing civilian targets in Yemen in violation of international humanitarian law.

Saturday February 20th Al Qaeda militants took control of the southern town of Ahwar on Saturday after clashing with Popular Resistance forces, killing three of them. The group controls several other towns in Abyan and Shabwah. However, local sources reported that, after taking control of government buildings in Ahwar, AQAP’s forces were confronted by armed tribesmen. AQAP reportedly pulled out of the town in exchange for promise of safe passage. A senior commander of the Southern Resistance, Shaykh Mazen al-Aqrabi was killed in Aden along with his bodyguard after two gunmen, presumably belonging to al Qaeda, opened fire on them.

February 7-13: AQAP infighting kills 7; Saudi Arabia warns aid workers

February 8At least seven members of Al-Qaeda were killed in Zinjibar on Monday after clashes broke out between two factions of the militant organization. The infighting escalated due to a disagreement over the appointment of a new regional commander after Jalal Baleedi was killed the previous week in a US drone strike.

In an attempt to gain support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen, spokesman for the coalition Brig. Gen. Ahmad Asiri delivered a briefing over Skype on Monday to a small audience at the Center for a New American Security in D.C. Playing to Washington’s fixation on counter-terrorism, Asiri argued that the Houthis and Saleh are inseparable from Al-Qaeda, claiming that the Saudis are weakening AQAP by weakening the Houthis.

Meanwhile, following Monday’s meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir, John Kerry made cautious remarks about ending the war in Yemen: "Over the course of the next week it may become possible to try to engage in some productive conversations about how to bring that conflict to a close."

Unicef released a report on Monday estimating that a third of combatants in Yemen are children. Both the Houthis and pro-Hadi forces have recruited children as young as 14 to fight on the frontlines despite pledges to end the practice. The widespread destruction of schools and infrastructure in the Saudi-led bombardment of Yemen leads to more children picking up guns and fighting, in exchange for $4-8 a day.

February 9 Vice President of Hadi’s government-in-exile Khaled Bahah said on Tuesday at the World Government Summit in Dubai that his allies are now close enough to soon recapture both San’a and Ta’iz from Houthi forces, claiming that they are now “in control of more than 80 percent of the Yemeni territories.”

February 10 Five members of the same family, including three children, were killed in San’a on Wednesday when a coalition airstrike hit their home. The dead father was identified by neighbors as Mounir Al-Hakimi, a program director at the Yemen Today television channel.

Unicef reports that ”more than a million children under five face the risk of acute malnutrition and acute respiratory tract infections.” The organization says that 192 centers for the treatment of malnutrition have stopped operating due to a lack of fuel, the displacement of staff, or because the centers and hospitals have been hit by airstrikes.

Thankfully, the WHO said on Wednesday that it was able to deliver 20 tons of medical supplies, including trauma kits and much-needed oxygen tanks, to Ta’iz on January 31 for the first time in eight weeks.

February 11 On the anniversary of the revolution, Yemenis took to Twitter to post memories of the uprising. Tawakkol Karman gave a televised address the same day, saying the 2011 revolution was inevitable and that the “February generation” will overthrow the "fascist" (Houthi) takeover. Karman added that the revolution is still ongoing.

From the Houthi side, Al-Masirah network reported that thousands of Yemenis of all ages and backgrounds gathered in front of San'a University in Change Square to mark the five-year anniversary. The slogan of the demonstrations was reportedly, "Our revolution continues against the American invasion."

Also on Thursday, Yemeni security officials said a senior military commander survived an assassination attempt in Aden. Three of his guards were killed when their convoy was ambushed and shot at.

February 12 Saudi Arabia warned aid workers on Friday to leave areas held by Houthi forces, presumably to protect them from upcoming coalition strikes. Regardless of this warning, Saudi Arabia is obligated under international humanitarian law to facilitate access to aid. UN aid chief Stephen O’Brien responded saying the humanitarian community would continue to deliver aid across Yemen impartially on the basis of need.

YPP and House of Light on KPFK

I appeared on yesterday's episode of Middle East in Focus, a radio show broadcast on KPFK here in southern California, to talk about the current situation in Yemen, US foreign policy, and the work of the YPP. Also featured on the show was Sahar Nuraddin, co-founder of the House of Light Foundation in Aden. For the last couple months we've been helping House of Light raise money for their initiative to provide clothing and hygiene kits to women displaced by the war.  You can find the episode here (it's the July 12 listing). I think my interview is worth listening to, but I really encourage readers to listen to Sahar's interview, which follows mine at about 16:30. Aden is under a near-total state of siege now, and residents have only sporadic internet and phone service, so it's very valuable to to hear a first-hand perspective on the situation there. Sahar's perspective, as a full-time NGO worker and aid provider with contacts all throughout Aden Governorate, is particularly informative.

And don't forget to support the very important work Sahar and House of Light are doing. You can learn more and donate here.