Understanding Yemen's war can be exceptionally difficult for Westerners. The following list is designed to familiarize readers with some of these complexities:
- Limited English-language resources on the history of Yemen.
- Limited presence of English-speaking Yemeni specialists talking about their country.
- Overlapping interests of regional actors, such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Iran, which promote conflicting narratives of the conflict.
- Weakness of the local Yemeni press leads to exceedingly politicized coverage.
- The pragmatism of the warring parties leads to fluid alliances.
- Societal rifts driving Yemen’s current war are rooted in the relatively recent civil wars of the 1960s and 1994.
- Saudi Arabia’s outsize role in Yemen’s recent history – backing various actors in its civil wars, providing and restricting economic opportunities to Yemenis – has given the kingdom a controversial reputation.
Get to know Yemen in-depth by following this page
