Britain’s involvement in the Yemen conflict – Explained

The U.S. House of Representatives have backed a bill to end American military intervention in Yemen, but the UK continues to participate in the ongoing civil war.  

Protesters at Whitehall Photo by Alisdare Hickson (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Houthi fighters come from the small Zaidi sect of Shia Islam, Shiites representing just 20% of Yemen’s religious population according to statistics from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Houthi’s take issue with what is seen as foreign intervention and influence in Yemen from Sunni majority Saudi Arabia.

There have been claims that the Houthis are supplied by Iran, as part of the broader cold war between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Iran has denied these claims.  

If Yemen is now the subject of a proxy war, the situation could get even worse.

The Director-General of the World Health Organisation has made efforts to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis.

The crisis is often obscured by the conflict itself, and its implications on the global stage.

Britain continues to facilitate this crisis.

 

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