Explore frequently asked questions and facts about the conflict and resulting humanitarian crisis in Yemen, and learn how you can help people in need. May 2017: The Houthis say they fired a ballistic missile at the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Hadi is unable to maintain control. (©2019 World Vision/photo by Evany Debone), In Yemen, people affected by the conflict earn cash for cleaning streets through a neighborhood sanitation project. Located at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, Yemen has been a crossroads of culture and trade since ancient times. The episode caused dozens of Yemeni officials, including diplomats, cabinet ministers, and members of parliament, to resign in protest. 1967: The British leave southern Yemen, and the People’s Republic of Southern Yemen is created. People continue to flee violence; more than 400,000 people were displaced in 2019. About 90% of the country’s food was imported. Hours after the incident, Saleh released an audio statement in which he asserted that he was in good health and condemned the al-Ahmar tribal fighters as outlaws. The opposition immediately rejected the initiative and continued to call for Saleh’s immediate departure. 2020 — Progress stalls on troop withdrawals because of mistrust among warring parties. Its uprising also became one of the most consequential: exacerbated by an already extant rebellion, the uprising evolved into a brutal civil war agitated by foreign intervention and created one of the worst humanitarian crises in history. By 2012, an array of poorly organized opposition groups had formed rebel brigades—many armed by foreign patrons—that seized key cities in the north, including parts of Aleppo, Syria’s largest city. Oct. 8, 2011: With his country tilting toward civil war and powerful tribes and mutinous soldiers arrayed against him, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh again promises to step down soon. In the days that followed Saleh’s refusal to sign the GCC agreement, heavy fighting broke out in Sanaa between pro-opposition tribal militias and troops loyal to Saleh, killing dozens. The conflict pits the U.S.-supported coalition and the internationally recognized government against Shiite rebels known as Houthis, who are allied with Iran. September 2015: Hadi returns to Aden after Saudi-backed government forces retake the port city. In February he promised not to stand for reelection when his current term ended in 2013, and he vowed that his son would not succeed him in office. August 2016: The coalition closes Sanaa airport to commercial flights. A Timeline of the Yemen Crisis, from the 1990s to the Present December 07, 2017. 1960s: A military rebellion and six-year civil war in the 1960s, in which Saudi Arabia and Egypt backed opposite sides, overthrows the kingdom and establishes the Yemen Arab Republic. What is World Vision doing to help in Yemen? Days earlier, Saleh had reached out to the Saudi-led coalition, indicating he might switch sides. Yemen - Yemen - Arab Spring and civil war: In 2011 a wave of pro-democracy protests known as the Arab Spring spread across the Arab world. April 2016: U.N.-sponsored talks between the government and the rebels begin. On March 20 Maj. Gen. Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, commander of the army’s 1st Armoured Division, announced his support for the opposition and vowed to use his troops to protect the protesters. Get inspiring articles and news delivered to your inbox. 2018 — Separatists supported by the United Arab Emirates seize Aden, a major southern city. Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, conflict and disease is estimated at 235,000 people. In addition to hygiene training, we provide clean water points and sewage management. Here are some ways you can help bring hope to people in Yemen: In November 2019, World Vision began working with the U.N. and other aid agencies to support aid for children living in poverty and crisis in Yemen. The rebels and their allies seize control of Aden International Airport and Hadi flees to Saudi Arabia. War and factionalism have reversed Yemen’s human development by more than 20 years. In addition to horrific violence, people are suffering from hunger and deprivation. 1969 to 1990 — Yemen divides into northern and southern nations, the southern part oriented toward the Soviet bloc. Government spokesmen denied rumours that Saleh had been killed or seriously injured. 23, 2015: The battle for Aden begins. On March 26 there were reports that an agreement was imminent, and Saleh himself furthered the perception that he was preparing to step down, saying in a speech that he would only transfer power to “safe hands” to prevent the country from slipping into chaos. Partnering with ADRA, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, World Vision’s work in 2020 will include the rehabilitation of community water systems to include 26 water access points, 15 manholes, and a septic tank. June 7, 2018: The International Committee of the Red Cross says it has pulled 71 staff members out of Yemen after a series of incidents and threats. Saleh’s resignation would be followed 30 days later by a presidential election. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. About 400,000 children under age 5 suffer from acute malnutrition. June 12, 2018: Hadi visits the United Arab Emirates, meeting with Abu Dhabi’s powerful crown prince, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for the first time. Clashes between protesters and police continued in March and led to several more deaths. On April 23 Saleh indicated his acceptance of a plan proposed by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) that would remove him from power and begin the transition to a new government. By the end of 2019, the poverty rate in Yemen exceeded 74%. As pressure to step down increased, Saleh entered into negotiations with military officers, political leaders, and tribal representatives to decide the terms of his departure. January 2017: A U.S. raid kills several suspected Al-Qaeda operatives and civilians in America’s first military action in Yemen under President Donald Trump. CAIRO (AP) — The Saudi-led coalition's assault on the rebel-held port city of Hodeida is the latest attempt to break years of stalemate in Yemen's devastating civil war. The Yemeni demonstrations proceeded with little violence between protesters and security forces. This perfect storm of food insecurity led to near-famine conditions in 2018 and 2019. We are proud to be reviewed and held accountable by these independent third-party organizations: World Vision Inc. is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. The conflict pits the U.S.-supported coalition and the internationally recognized government against Shiite rebels known as Houthis, who are allied with Iran. With economic collapse, food prices have soared. Unlike the Egyptian and Tunisian protests, which seemed to have little centralized leadership, protests in Yemen appeared to have been organized and directed by a coalition of Yemeni opposition groups. When the school term began last September, 2 million school-age children did not attend. The UAE and Hadi are both members of the coalition, but have had tense relations for months. The fighting has killed more than 10,000 people, displaced 2 million and driven the Arab world’s poorest country to the brink of famine. June 13, 2018: The coalition launches an offensive on the port city of Hodeida. (©2019 World Vision/photo by Evany Debone), Staff at a Yemeni school share their challenges related to providing students with clean water. On February 20 thousands of Yemeni university students and recent graduates staged a sit-in on the campus of Sanaa University, vowing not to end their protest until Saleh stepped down as president. April 2015: The U.N. Security Council imposes an arms embargo on the Houthis and demands they pull back from territory they have captured.