Yemen

Short summary (one paragraph)

Yemen’s crisis began with political unrest after 2011 and escalated into a full civil war when Houthi forces seized Sanaa (2014–15). A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015; since then the fighting has involved air campaigns, sieges and blockades, maritime and missile strikes, indiscriminate attacks, arbitrary detention and recruitment of children, and repeated disruptions of humanitarian aid. The result is one of the world’s worst humanitarian catastrophes: millions displaced, widespread malnutrition and disease, collapsed public services, and repeated accusations that all major parties committed abuses that may amount to war crimes. Wikipedia+1

Who the main actors are

The Houthis (Ansar Allah): Zaydi-Shia movement that seized Sanaa in 2014–15 and controls large parts of northern Yemen. They have carried out front-line offensives, sieges, detentions, and increasingly maritime attacks. Wikipedia Reuters
The Saudi-led coalition (Saudi Arabia, UAE and allies): Entered in March 2015 to restore the internationally recognized government; conducted sustained air campaigns and blockades. Wikipedia
Yemeni government forces, southern separatists (STC), local militias, AQAP/ISIS: A patchwork of other armed groups that have sometimes fought each other and sometimes allied with external backers; all have been implicated in abuses. Council on Foreign Relations
International actors: U.S., U.K., and others provided arms, logistics, and (at times) strikes against Houthi targets — decisions that affected civilian suffering and raised legal/political controversy. TIME

How oppression and abuses have been carried out (methods)

Airstrikes and bombardment: Coalition air campaigns repeatedly struck civilian infrastructure — hospitals, schools, markets, weddings — causing mass civilian deaths and destruction of services. Human-rights groups and investigators have documented widespread civilian harm. Human Rights Watch Wikipedia
Sieges and blockades: Restrictions on ports, roads and fuel imports have severely limited food, medicine, and fuel, contributing to hunger and to the breakdown of health, water and sanitation systems. Investigators warned that some restrictions amounted to using starvation as a weapon. Human Rights Watch
Arbitrary detention, torture, enforced disappearances: Both the Houthis and other parties have detained journalists, activists, aid workers and perceived opponents; reports document torture and poor prison conditions. State Department AP News
Child recruitment and use: UN and local monitors have documented recruitment and use of children by multiple parties, resulting in child deaths and suffering. Human Rights Watch
Attacks on humanitarian actors and obstruction of aid: Aid access has been repeatedly impeded by checkpoints, bureaucratic delays, seizure of aid and threats to staff, aggravating famine and disease outbreaks. OCHA AP News

Humanitarian consequences (big picture figures)

People needing assistance: Tens of millions need humanitarian aid; recent UN/OCHA reporting shows a very high number (for 2025, OCHA reports more than ~19 million people need assistance). OCHA
Disease outbreaks: Cholera and vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks have repeatedly surged; WHO reported Yemen carried a significant global cholera burden in recent years. EMRO
Deaths and civilian harm: UN and rights groups estimate hundreds of thousands of direct and indirect deaths since the war began (estimates vary and are updated over time); monitoring projects documented thousands of civilian deaths annually in peak years. Human Rights Watch The Washington Post
(These numbers are large and updated often — see the UN/OCHA and WHO trackers above for the latest statistics.) OCHA EMRO

Detailed timeline (key moments)

2011–2013 — Political unrest: Protests remove long-time President Saleh; instability grows and local armed groups gain strength. Arab Center Washington DC
2014 (Sept) — Houthi advance into Sanaa: Houthis seize the capital and begin to expand control. This is a turning point that weakened state institutions. Wikipedia
2015 (Mar) — Saudi-led coalition intervenes: Coalition begins air campaign to restore President Hadi; ports and airports are contested and the military campaign intensifies. Wikipedia
2015–2017 — Blockades, airstrikes, displacement: Port inspections, naval blockades and air campaigns reduce import flows of food/fuel/medicine; large civilian toll and early famine warnings appear. Human Rights Watch
2016–2018 — Cholera and collapsing services: Major cholera outbreaks (hundreds of thousands of suspected cases across multi-year waves), plus the collapse of routine health and vaccination services. EMRO Center for Disaster Philanthropy
2018 (Aug) — UN experts: all sides may be responsible for war crimes: UN investigators and rights groups found patterns of violations (indiscriminate attacks, sieges, torture, unlawful killings). The Guardian
2019–2021 — Fragmentation and stalemate: Ground fighting, shifting front lines around Taiz, Marib and elsewhere; governance fragmentation in south (STC) and north (Houthis). Council on Foreign Relations
2022–2023 — Truce and breakdown: A UN-brokered truce in 2022 briefly reduced large-scale airstrikes and some hostilities, but violations continued; the truce later collapsed and maritime tensions escalated. Human Rights Watch
2023–2025 — Houthi maritime campaign & international strikes: Houthis expanded attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea/Gulf of Aden; the U.S. and U.K. have carried out strikes on Houthi targets in response; detention of aid staff and renewed clampdowns have followed. These developments raised international tensions and resulted in more strikes inside Yemen. AP News Reuters

Who has been held responsible / legal concerns

Independent investigators, UN experts and major rights organizations have repeatedly concluded that all sides have committed serious violations of international humanitarian law — including indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks, sieges that hinder humanitarian relief, and abuses against detainees. Several reports urged investigations and accountability; some countries’ arms transfers to parties in the conflict have been criticized on legal and moral grounds. The Guardian Human Rights Watch

Human stories & structural harms (what “oppression” looks like on the ground)

Families unable to reach hospitals because the hospital was destroyed or lacks fuel and staff. Wikipedia
Schools turned into shelters or damaged; generations losing routine education and vaccinations. EMRO
People detained without charge, journalists silenced, and aid workers sometimes arrested — further choking independent reporting and aid delivery. State Department AP News

Recent notable developments (2023–2025)

Detention of UN and aid workers: There have been highly publicized detentions of UN staff and aid workers in some Houthi-controlled areas, aggravating fears about aid access and staff safety. AP News
Maritime escalation: Houthi attacks on international shipping increased tensions in the Red Sea; international naval responses and strikes inside Yemen followed. This broadened the conflict’s regional footprint and endangered ports/aid routes.
Worsening public health indicators: Outbreaks (cholera, measles) and flood impacts in 2024–25 further increased needs; UN and WHO trackers show surges in suspected cases and strain on the health system. EMRO OCHA

Sources & where to read more (primary / reliable trackers)

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) — humanitarian needs and response. OCHA
World Health Organization (WHO) — disease outbreaks and health system status. EMRO
Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International — investigations into abuses by parties. Human Rights Watch Amnesty International
UN/independent expert reports and mainstream outlets (Reuters, AP, Guardian, Washington Post) for recent incidents and international responses. Reuters AP News The Guardian

Quick conclusion

Yemen’s oppression is multi-dimensional: it combines direct violence (airstrikes, front-line fighting, sieges) with structural violence (blockades, destroyed services, disease) and political repression (detentions, restriction of aid/media). The result is extended suffering for civilians and intergenerational damage; accountability and unimpeded humanitarian access are widely recognized as essential but remain elusive. Human Rights Watch OCHA