A Gendered Approach to Houthi Rebel Violence and How It Contributes to the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen
Women are the Atlases of conflict and war, especially in the Middle East, bearing the heavy burden of the boulder on their backs. Their boulder which they carry is the responsibility of the upkeep of their families, often from a young age. Simultaneously, they are the most vulnerable group alongside children.
The Houthi Rebels are an Iranian-backed Shia Islamic extremist group that first emerged in the 1990s. In March 2015, conflict between Yemen’s government and Houthi rebels escalated when a civil war broke out. They are specifically and self-proclaimed anti-Israel, fueling their recent attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and their intercepted missile attack on Israel.
Alongside Houthi violence, there is a massive humanitarian crisis ravaging Yemen as a direct result of the conflict. There are 21.6 million people who require humanitarian aid, including 11 million children and 4.5 million people who are displaced. The humanitarian crisis in Yemen has been increasingly concerning over the past nine years because of the civil war.
The violence by the Houthis has contributed to the displacement and starvation of many Yemeni people. The Houthis have gone so far as to block humanitarian aid coming to Yemen and prevent its distribution. However, the majority of those affected by Houthis violence and the humanitarian crisis at large are women and children.
The Houthis have a particularly violent and extremist view towards women, and they feel particularly threatened by female professionals. Especially with how the Houthis rebels view women, they were never going to be a priority to be spared. It is reported that they have ‘implemented a policy of sexual violence and repression against politically active and professional women [and] engaged in the recruitment and use of children.’
It comes as no surprise, then, that women and children are disproportionately suffering in Yemen due to violence caused by the Houthis rebels, making up over 75% of the displaced people in Yemen. Additionally, Yemeni women and children have the highest malnutrition rates worldwide, with 2.2 million Yemeni children under five years old being treated for malnutrition, a number equivalent to the population of Paris, France. The current state of Yemen is as if all of Paris was under the age of five and was starving and malnourished. Would the world let a crisis like this go on for nearly a decade if it was in France?
The numbers are staggering, and the humanitarian crisis continues. It is interesting to note how most of the militarised effort that is going towards stopping the Houthis rebels has been in the interest of Western states, such as stopping the attacks on commercial ships. The United States has even specified their intentions with counter attacks, saying that it was in the name of ‘freedom of navigation’, rather than because the ships that travel through the Red Sea carry over 70% of food staples that go to Yemen. Simply because a tragedy is occurring outside of one’s backyard does not make it any less relevant or important.
However, it must also be noted that Western states are attempting to send aid to Yemen. The United Kingdom announced that they ‘will increase [their] humanitarian aid by 58% for the 2024 to 2025 financial year to support those most in need in Yemen, including women and girls.’ This is certainly a decision to be optimistic about.
Ultimately, the recent violence by the Houthis has been a leading contributor to a devastating humanitarian crisis afflicting Yemen, specifically and most extremely Yemeni women and children. A major solution to the crisis is the eradication of the threat of the Houthis rebels and is a solution that cannot be slowly enacted. The situation is dire.
Showing humanity is not weakness: it is a sign of unity and strength that must be employed to stop the horrors of the humanitarian crisis that has been happening for nearly a decade in Yemen. Just as the women who suffer most alongside their children from the conflict yet have the responsibility of caring for their families, finding strength is difficult but necessary. Showing humanity is strength.
Image courtesy of Peter Biro via Flickr, ©2019. Some rights reserved.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the wider St. Andrews Foreign Affairs Review team.
