Yemen - 28 years of history on a Map

In just 28 years of existence, insurrections, conflicts, riots, terrorist attacks and wars have weakened and divided this country, which is the poorest in the Middle East. Let's retrace on a map since its creation, the history of the Republic of Yemen. We begin in 1988, when Yemen was divided in two. In the south, there is the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, whose capital is Aden. It is the only communist country in the Middle East, led by a single party and allied with the USSR. Although the country is vast, it is mostly desert and populated by approximately 2.5 million inhabitants. In the north, the Arab Republic of Yemen, with its capital Sanaa, is an Islamic state. The country has 7 million inhabitants and is more prosperous. As the Cold War draws to a close, the USSR is weakened, causing it to reduce financial aid to South Yemen. This pushes the country closer to its neighbour, paving the way for reunification talks. Two years later, in 1990, the Republic of Yemen is born. The former president of North Yemen, Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was already in power for 11 years, took the reins of the new country. While the former president of South Yemen, Ali Salem al-Bidh, became vice president. Sanaa becomes its capital and the population is majority Muslim with about 35% Zaidi Shiite and 65% Sunnis. Soon after independence, the country takes a stand against intervention in Iraq during the Gulf War. In response, the West and Arab countries cut off its financial support. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, harasses the many Yemeni workers on its territory. With the country in financial difficulty and seeing no improvement, Vice President al-Bidh leads the charge to regain independence for South Yemen. After a short civil war, the north prevails and the post of vice president is given to the Minister of Defence, Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. In 1997, a jihadist insurgency begins with al-Qaeda in Yemen that takes aim at loyalist forces and the United States. The government launches a fight against the terrorist organization. In 2004, Zaidi Shia tribes in the north complain of being marginalized and begin a new insurrection. The rebels call themselves Houthis, which is the name of their leader killed the same year by the army. The group is ideologically anti-American, anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist. In the south, there is continued frustration caused by Yemen's reunification. In 2007 enters the Southern Movement, a separatist political group which participates in the Yemeni revolution in 2011. Encouraged by the Arab Spring, people take to the streets to demand an end to corruption, a healthier economy and lower unemployment. Saleh tries to cling to power but is eventually replaced by his vice president Hadi who initiates discussions exploring a more democratic restructuring of government. Two years later, the proposed reforms are weak and the Houthis feel resentful, having inherited no political power in their region. They take up arms and begin the Yemeni civil war, this time with the support of part of the population and forces loyal to former President Saleh, who tried to return to power. Together, they conquer Sana'a, forcing Hadi to flee to Aden and then to Saudi Arabia. The Gulf Cooperation Council condemns what it calls a coup. Against the backdrop of this regional conflict, Saudi Arabia accuses Iran, predominantly Shiite, of militarily supporting the Houthi rebellion. In addition, the country does not want to see the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the fourth most important global sea-crossing point for oil, in rebel hands. Saudi Arabia then sets up an international coalition of nine predominantly Sunni Muslim countries to restore Hadi to power. They receive support in logistics and intelligence from the United States. The coalition begins by bombarding strategic installations while the UN imposes an embargo against the sale of arms to the Houthis and their allies. In July, the coalition takes over Aden, where Hadi and his government move. The focus of the coalition advance shifts to the gates of Taiz. Although the coalition is better equipped, its lack of experience in the field regularly results in defeats and prevents it from gaining the upper hand. When coalition military advancements dry up, they step up aerial bombardment. Civilian populations very often become victims and get stuck in the crossfire. In October, Hayden Hospital is bombed. The UN condemns the strikes and calls for talks to negotiate a peace treaty, which would not succeed. In addition to airstrikes, the coalition imposes an embargo on ports and airports controlled by the Houthis. Only aid shipments are allowed, which prove insufficient for the population suffering a humanitarian crisis. As a result, more than 2 million people are internally displaced in Yemen. At the end of 2016 begins a cholera epidemic that infects up to 1 million people and leaves more than 2,200 dead. The UN estimated that 7 million Yemenis, or a quarter of the country, were close to starvation. In Sana'a, Saleh broke his alliance with the Houthis to try a diplomatic approach with Saudi Arabia. In retaliation, he was killed a few days later by the Houthis. In Aden, Hadi has a hard time projecting authority and uniting the locals. The Southern Movement creates the Transitional Council, a secessionist organization that quickly takes control of the city and the presidential palace. The group receives support from the United Arab Emirates, which distances itself from the coalition. The Emirati focus on al-Qaeda and peddle their influence on the Yemeni island of Sokotra, on which they set their sights. In retaliation of ballistic missiles fired at Saudi Arabia, the coalition further intensifies airstrikes, especially in the north. Forces loyal to Hadi attempt to retake Hodeida strategic port in order to cut off Houthis' access to the sea. In Aden, the Southern Transitional Council strengthens with Emirati support, who had to leave the island of Sokotra after an intervention by Saudi Arabia. In the east of Yemen, after many drone attacks by the United States, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula takes advantage of the chaos in the country and strengthens its grip on power. Other terrorist groups emerge into the fray, including the Islamic State. The country is completely divided and it is the Yemeni population that pays the ultimate price, with more than 10,000 dead in four years. According to the UN, the blockade imposed on the country has caused the worst humanitarian crisis on the planet. All this while the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates increases, resulting in big profits, mainly for the United States, Great Britain and France.