Yemen: the UN suggests a ceasefire for the Ramadan.

Although the current period is focused on and limited only to news about the Ukraine-Russia war, we must not forget that the world continues to move forward, as one of the most serious humanitarian crises of the 21st century does. This is the case of Yemen, where more than a hundred people die every day. A war that has its roots in the Arab Spring of 2011.

The historic president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, was forced to hand over to his deputy, Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, due to an uprising. The political change was supposed to bring stability to one of the poorest countries in the Middle East, but unfortunately the opposite situation occurred. Things got out of hand. President Hadi faced attacks from military forces loyal to Saleh, as well as an economic and food crisis. The fighting started in 2014, when the Shiite rebel movement took over the northern province of Saada and its surrounding areas, up to and including the capital Sanaa, forcing Hadi into exile abroad. In 2015, Saudi Arabia and other Sunni Arab states, supported by the international community, launched air offensives against the Houthis, with the aim of restoring Hadi's rule. The attack was also justified by accusations made by the Saudi front against Iran, which is considered a firm supporter of the Houthis and helps them through the supply of weapons and logistical support. The accusation were denied by the Iranian state and since then the conflict has spread, with a series of regional and cultural tensions, throughout the Middle East, between Shiites and Sunnis.

After seven years of conflict, Yemen has not found a political resolution yet. The situation shows a stuck diplomacy, weak state institutions and an unprecedented economic and humanitarian crisis. The UN has proposed a two-month ceasefire for a 'Ramadan of peace'. This decision coincides with the start of the week of negotiations between Yemenis in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in which representatives of the UN and the US government are also taking part. Absent are the Houthi rebels, who won't accept the dialogues unless they will take place in the neutral area. The ceasefire agreement came on the third day of the talks held in Riyadh. UN and US special envoys Grundberg and Lenderking, together with the warring parties in Yemen, agreed to hinder all offensive military air, land and sea operations within the country and across the border. The rest also calls for supply ships to enter the ports of Hudaydah and for commercial flights to operate in and out of Sanaa airport. The UN envoy, Hans Grundberg, said that 'this is a long overdue first step' and that 'all the Yemeni women, men and children who have suffered immensely in over seven years of war expect nothing less than the end to this conflict. And the parties must reach it. He stressed that the truce can be renewed beyond the two-month deadline, with the agreement of the parties. But to end the war, more needs to be done, that is a permanent ceasefire.
 

The one just proposed is the first ceasefire since 2016, almost a glimpse of light in one of the most dramatic wars of the century. The Saudi coalition initially observed a unilateral ceasefire, which the Houthis, in line with Iran, on the contrary, had rejected. Although Ramadan is an important holiday for the country, the Houthis' rejection was predictable, as they were absent from the meeting in Saudi Arabia. This war is a humanitarian disaster. More than 370,000 people have lost their lives since 2015. Sixty per cent of the casualties have been caused by indirect effects, such as shortages of food, water and disease; while 150,000 have lost their lives in armed clashes or air raids. The UN Development Agency estimated that "every 9 minutes in 2021, a child under the age of five died". More than 4 million people have been forced to escape in search of a better future. A conflict that has not only devastated an entire population, but has also destroyed one of the most beautiful lands in the Middle East. In front of the chilling panorama, the Houthis have been doubted about taking a position of peace until, at least, the Twitter post by Mohammed Abdel-Salam, Houthi spokesman and chief negotiator, who welcomed the ceasefire.

Unfortunately, the war in Yemen is a neglected event. From the Western perspective, the conflict is considered 'peripheral and marginal'. It is often forgotten as not considered strategic. Due to this indifference, even the action taken by the UN is weak. To date, the lack of interest in this humanitarian catastrophe, also owing to the world's attention focused solely on the Russian-Ukrainian war, has led to the development of an even greater feeling of apathy and disregard.

Yemen needs a ceasefire, but a permanent one still seems far away, as both sides do not want to compromise. The Saudi coalition, which controls Yemen's seas and airspace, demands a simultaneous agreement to give in to the demands; while the Houthis want no restrictions before entering into any truce talks. The situation is uncertain, but Yemen's internal and regional dynamics should not be underestimated, as they impact the security of the international arena.

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