Allgemein / General
14.11.2015 – Before it News
Yemen update 11/14\2015.. Yemeni People Are Suffering from this Ugly Aggression (Filme in englischer Sprache)
Im Text werden viele (angeblicje) Erfolge der Huthis und Verbündeten aufgeführt
13.11.2015 – The American Conservative
The Saudis’ Failing Intervention in Yemen
Who would have guessed that launching an unnecessary, unprovoked war in a country known for its successful armed resistance to invaders would turn out badly for the intervening governments? It was clearly a bad idea from the outset, and it was inexcusable folly for the U.S. to support it. It shouldn’t have required thousands to be killed, more than a million to be displaced, tens of thousands injured, and an entire country brought to the brink of famine before this was understood. Like so many reckless, ill-considered wars before it, the war on Yemen has inflicted enormous death and destruction on a poor country for nothing.
The Saudis could acknowledge that the war was a mistake and halt the campaign, but unfortunately that still seems unlikely to happen. The new king and his son are so closely identified with the campaign that acknowledging its failure would be politically damaging for both of them. As coalition casualties have grown, there is even less desire to admit that the intervention was ill-advised for the usual fallacious sunk-cost reasons that we know only too well from our own wars. Having grossly exaggerated the role of Iran in Yemen, the Saudis cannot easily admit that their propaganda claims were nonsense. Because they falsely portrayed the war as a necessary fight to thwart supposed Iranian “expansionism” that was never happening, the Saudis would have to admit that their effort failed and worse still that the entire intervention didn’t have to happen.
The coalition governments bear the greatest responsibility for their failed intervention, but the U.S. shares significant responsibility for enabling and supporting their campaign. As Emma Ashford pointed out in her excellent talk at our conference last week, the U.S. has made “reassuring” allies and clients “an end in itself,” and she cited U.S. support for the war on Yemen as the “most heinous example” of this. As she said, our involvement in this war does nothing to advance our interests or to make our country more secure, and it contributes to the wrecking of an entire country. Worst of all, as we’re seeing in this latest report, it isn’t even achieving the dubious goals that it was meant to achieve, but .has been a costly failure – by Daniel Larison
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/the-saudis-failing-intervention-in-yemen/
13.11.2015 – Reuters
Analysis - Yemen fighting risks deepening sectarian divisions
A deadly assault by Shi'ite Houthi rebels on a Salafi Islamic school planted in their mountain heartland could ignite wider sectarian conflict in Yemen, where instability has already helped al Qaeda militants to take root.
The Houthis, who belong to the Zaydi branch of Shi'ite Islam, have bombarded the sprawling Dar al-Hadith seminary in Dammaj village for two weeks, killing at least 100 people.
Late on Tuesday, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsular (AQAP) pledged revenge for the assault.
Zaydis have for years been alarmed by young Sunnis flocking to Dar al-Hadith, in the northern province of Saada, to study ultra-orthodox Salafi doctrines that cast Shi'ites as heretics.
Houthi militants, whose rebellion is fuelled by the accumulated grievances of many Zaydis, dominate Saada after fighting government forces on and off for nearly a decade.
They detest Dar al-Hadith, proclaiming on October 30 that the Salafis had "turned Dammaj into a launch-pad for their criminal actions and a training centre (for) thousands of armed foreign elements from more than 120 countries".
Dar al-Hadith's leaders, who deny any such activities, have condemned al Qaeda, but some militants, including the "American Taliban", John Walker Lindh, have been through the school, and its founder was linked to a 1979 Islamist uprising in Mecca.
The Houthis' onslaught on Dammaj may be a gambit to strengthen their bargaining power before any such deal peace negotiations and peace treaty].
Houthi-Salafi strife could further poison the once-relaxed relations between Shi'ites and Sunnis in Yemen. "Yemenis don't hate each other for sectarian reasons," Iryani said. "But that does not preclude this outcome, down the line, if this crisis is not fixed quickly.
Saleh, the former president, exploited sectarian sentiments during his successive wars with the Houthis, according to Ibrahim Sharqieh, a Yemen expert at Doha Brookings think-tank. "This conflict did not start last week," he said.
[Houthis] have generally kept their faith out of national politics - even as Salafi influence began to rise in mosques funded by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf neighbours.
The Houthis emerged in the north in the 1990s in response to economic deprivation and waning Zaydi political influence, as well as Salafi inroads in the area, symbolised by Dar al-Hadith.
Riyadh's links to Yemen go deep. It has long subsidised the government, as well as funding unruly tribes in a complex quest for influence in its impoverished and more populous neighbour.
Wealthy and often well-connected donors from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations have bankrolled Sunni religious centres in Yemen, including Salafi ones such as Dar al-Hadith.
According to Mohammed al-Ahmadi, a Yemeni expert on Salafis, up to 7,000, including hundreds from the United States, Canada, Europe and southeast Asia study there, some living with their families on the compound in Dammaj.
Donations by Gulf businessmen helped fund Dar al-Hadith, although these were curbed after September 11, 2001 – by Sami Aboudi
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/11/13/uk-yemen-strife-analysis-idUKBRE9AC0CM20131113
Kommentar: Die Belagerung von Dammai durch die Huthis, die Kämpfe und die Vertreibung der Salafisten (2011–2014) waren äußerst blutig. Ein Bericht über ein Massaker innerhalb der letzten Woche ließ sich nicht finden; worauf bezieht sich der Autor hier? Der Bericht gibt einen interessanten Einblick in die Entstehung der Huthi-Bewegung. Es ist klar, dass der von Saudi-Arabien und den Golfstaaten aus finanzierte und geförderte radikale wahabitische und salafistische Islam entscheidend zu dieser Eskalation beigetragen hat, ja, dass er sogar der Auslöser dafür war, dass die Huthi-Bewegung überhaupt entstanden ist. Das ist schon schlimm genug, denn die Saudis treiben dieses Spiel ja weltweit. Noch schlimmer ist, dass die Saudis kaum so agieren könnten oder es sie vielleicht gar nicht mehr gäbe, wenn sie seit vielen Jahrzehnten nicht massivste Unterstützung und Rückendeckung hätten von wem? Vom Westen. Aber damit ist die westliche Verantwortung dafür, dass es überhaupt die Huthis gibt, noch nicht zu Ende. Der andere Gegner, gegen den die Huthis sich formierten, war Präsident Saleh… den die Saudis und wieder der Westen massiv stützten (Dass ausgerechnet Saleh und die Huthis sich jetzt verbündet haben, ist sicher eine Ironie der Geschichte). Der Westen, allein auf die Durchsetzung seiner eigenen Interessen bedacht, stößt dadurch in vielen Ländern Entwicklungen an, die das Land immer mehr in innere Konflikte und in die Krise führen. Bis hin zu Krieg und Bürgerkrieg – in die sich der Westen dann wieder einmischt – um weiterhin seine Interessen zu wahren oder vielleicht sogar, weil der Krieg / Bürgerkrieg die einmalige Chance ist, seine Interessen in einer Weise durchzusetzen, wie das ohne den Krieg nie möglich gewesen wäre. Der Jemen ist nur ein Beispiel dafür.
Besuch in Dar-al Hadith: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7LDejt9N4w (Film)
Wikipedia-Artikel Dhammai: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dammaj
Wikipedia-Artikel: Belagerung von Dammai: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Dammaj
Flucht der Salafisten aus Dammai: https://www.hate-speech.org/thousands-flee-in-yemen-conflict/
Salafisten, die nach Sanaa geflohen sind: http://www.yementimes.com/en/1809/report/4224/Salafi-refugees-Settling-in-Sana%E2%80%99a-nostalgic-of-Dammaj.htm
Salafismus im Jemen, beginnt in Dar-al Hadith: https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/deconstructing-salafism-in-yemen-2
29.10.2015 – Stratfor Yemen Update, October 2015 (zum Download)
https://www.stratfor.com/sample/analysis/conflict-yemen-october-2015
Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian Situation
13.11.2015 – UNOCHA
Yemen Humanitarian Bulletin Issue 5 | Issued on 13 November 2015
26 dead and dozens injured, and 47,000 people displaced after cyclones Chapala and Megh hit Yemen.
Humanitarian needs in key sectors deepen, including food security, nutrition, and shelter.
Humanitarian presence increases across Yemen.
Limited humanitarian access to Taizz deprives vulnerable population of assistance.
Humanitarian needs deepen across Yemen
Ongoing conflict and commercial import restrictions continue to devastate Yemen
Updated figures from the forthcoming 2016 Humanitarian Needs Overview show a grim reality for men, women, and children in Yemen following almost eight months of conflict.
This period has been marked by recurrent international humanitarian law violations, by all parties to the conflict. Commercial imports restrictions, in a country heavily dependent on food, fuel, and medicine imports, have had a profound impact on humanitarian needs.
Before the conflict escalated, Yemen was already the poorest country in the Middle East after years of poverty, underdevelopment, environmental decline, intermittent conflict, weak rule of law, and widespread human rights violations.
Increases have occurred in key sectors, including food security, nutrition, and shelter.
More than half the population, 14.4 million people, are now food insecure, and 7.6 million people severely food insecure. With basic food commodities only sporadically available in many governorates and continued high prices of basic food staples, combined loss of livelihoods, the overall food security situation will likely continue to deteriorate.
Nearly 14.1 million people require support to access adequate healthcare, including more than 522,000 pregnant women (15 per cent of whom are expected to face delivery complications).
As of the end of October, WHO reports that more than 5,700 people have been killed, including at least 573 children, and almost 27,000 people injured since the escalation of conflict in March. The high number of conflict-related injuries illustrates the need for trauma care in the face of dwindling medical supplies. To date, more than 600 health facilities have stopped functioning due to the lack of fuel, supplies and personnel. At least 69 health facilities have been damaged or destroyed by parties to the conflict; eight health workers have been killed and 20 injured.
Over 19 million people require water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) assistance with three in four unable to meet their basic WASH needs. The number of people at risk of malnutrition has increased to 3 million people, with 2.1 million who are currently malnourished, including 1.3 million children, 320,000 of whom are severely acutely malnourished. Some 192 nutrition service facilities have closed due to insecurity and lack of supplies – a 20 per cent decrease in available facilities since June 2015.
Displacement and human rights violations have also increased considerably. In search of safety and security, over 2.3 million people are now internally displaced, up from an estimated 344,000 in March 2015. About half of all displaced people are concentrated in Aden, Taizz, Al Dhale’e and Hajjah governorates. The increased displacement has contributed to the increase of needs, particularly for shelter and non-food items (NFIs), with about 2.8 million displaced men, women, and children and host community members in need of assistance.
Despite the delayed start of the new school year on 1 November, about 1.8 million children have been out of school since the conflict escalated in March. Together with the estimated 1.6 million school-age children already out of school prior to the escalation of the conflict, some 3.4 million children are not attending school. The on-going conflict has left 611 schools partially damaged and 174 schools totally damaged. In addition, 260 schools are hosting displaced men, women, and children and 58 – almost all in Taizz – have been occupied by armed groups.
Building on the response achievements to date, the 2016 Humanitarian Response Plan is currently under development to address the most acute identified needs.
Humanitarians struggle to assist key districts in Taizz
Restricted access to three districts in Taizz Governorate
Consistent and reliable reports paint a clear picture of the critical humanitarian situation in Al Mudhaffar, Al Qahirah and Salh districts in Taizz Governorate where essential services and access to goods have been severely restricted. Intense fighting and denial of access by parties to the conflict have meant that little, if any, commercial goods or humanitarian assistance is able to enter the three districts.
Pre-crisis, these three governorates had a combined population of around 500,000 people. Local sources now indicate that more than two-thirds of these people are now displaced with between 175,000 to 200,000 men, women, and children remaining.
A local network of NGOs in the districts has confirmed that it has been virtually impossible for food supplies to enter the city for the last two months and reports rapidly dwindling stocks of supplies and associated price increases for the little food remaining. Reports point to an almost 300 per cent increase in food prices compared to the 150 per cent increase in the surrounding areas. This continued lack of access threatens lives and compounds suffering among the population in the three affected districts.
Fifty per cent of the water distribution network in the three districts is no longer functioning due to war damage and lack of maintenance. Three water sources provide the districts with 17,000 cubic metres (m3) per day, whereas the daily requirement is 56,000 m3.
People now depend on harvested rain water and water trucking. Before March, 70 per cent of the population depended on water trucking. In October, UNICEF gained limited access to distribute nutrition and health supplies and water into the three districts. There are huge concentrations of solid waste in the three districts putting the local population at high risk of contracting communicable diseases.
http://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-humanitarian-bulletin-issue-5-issued-13-november-2015 und http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/20151113_Yemen_Humanitarian_Bulletin_5.pdf
15.11.2015 - UNICEF
YES, I WANT TO HELP CHILDREN AFFECTED BY THE YEMEN CRISIS
Nearly 10 million children are in danger in Yemen. Please donate now and help keep a child safe.
Yemen is facing a major humanitarian crisis. Four years of unrest has left children in urgent need of food, water and medical supplies. Now, the situation is worsened by fierce fighting and heavy air strikes.
1.8 million children are currently at risk of becoming malnourished. Due to food shortages across the country, nutrition supplies are rapidly depleting and need to be replenished in most health facilities. Unicef and partners have worked hard to ensure that almost 1,250 tonnes of life-saving supplies have been delivered to Yemen since March. But we need your help to reach more children in danger.
£50 could provide a two month supply of life-saving peanut paste - enough to bring two severely malnourished children back to health.
Despite the deepening crisis, Unicef is on the ground in Yemen working round the clock to protect children.
Over 1.3 million people have been forced to flee their homes in search of a safer place to live, with more than 3,000 refugees sheltering at a camp in Obock, north-east Djibouti. With your help, we can provide long-term aid and ensure that displaced children do not miss out on an education.Through Unicef-supported schools and child-friendly spaces children can continue lessons and learn how to keep safe from unexploded weapons and landmines. A monthly donation of just £15 can provide a regular supply of classroom materials.
We must act now to protect mllions of children from danger of war, disease and hunger. Please donate today and help keep a child safe. Thank you.
http://www.unicef.org.uk/landing-pages/yemen-crisis-appeal/?gclid=CNCDoeai_MgCFSrpwgodiZQIvw
14.11.2015 – Doctors Without Borders
MSF has temporarily suspended activities in Al Jamhoury hospital in Hajjah because of the presence of armed guards at the gate of the hospital. A medical facility is a neutral humanitarian space and having armed men guarding the gate can put at risk patients and medical staff.
MSF has expressed its deep concern to the local authorities and hopes for the fast resolution of the problem so we can resume the much needed assistance to a population hardly hit by the current conflict in Yemen.
Film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4HT_YbYdrE
13.11.2015 – Mwatana Human Rights Organisation
Taiz: Unremitting suffocating blockade deprives civilians of the dwindling medical care
The city's hospitals are on the circle of collapse as forces of Houthi-Saleh alliance have been preventing operational materials and basic medical supplies from getting in.
Forces of Houthi-Saleh alliance must left their ban on entry of essential medical supplies and operational materials especially fuel subsidies and oxygen to the remaining functioning hospitals that are on the brink of collapse, which endangers the lives of hundreds of civilians in the city.
Mwatana confirmed that deprivation of civilians - be they are patients or victims of the ongoing conflict- of remaining medical service and causing its collapse is considered to be a grave violation of human rights and flagrant infringement of the international humanitarian laws and amounts to war crimes.
Mwatana held forces of both Houthi armed group and former president Saleh accountable for catastrophic repercussions of suffocating blockade they have been imposing on the city jeopardizing hundreds lives of civilians due to preventing medical supplies and necessary fuels from reaching hospitals and medical centers which are still operational in spite of the horribly deteriorating circumstances in the city.
Mwatana team paid a four-day visit to Taiz during October 28 - 31, 2015 and found out that the remaining operating are living their worst conditions of dying and horrific decline due to the lack of medical supplies and basic operational materials. Forces of Houthi-Saleh alliance have been preventing essential materials and medical supplies from reaching the hospitals and denying their access through the checkpoints and crossings they are controlling at the main borders of the city.
During its visit, Mwatana's team managed to collect a number of testimonies from hospital officials clarifying the situation. According to their testimonies, the hospitals are in desperate need for the essential necessities including drugs, oxygen, medical solutions, fuel and distilled water. On top of that, some of these hospitals were targeted by shells due to the fierce conflict that has been unfolding in the city for eight months between forces of Houthi-Saleh alliance on one hand and the so-called Popular Resistance "armed groups loyal to president Hadi" on the other.
The team roamed over the city that has been going through highest levels of deteriorating living conditions and worst humanitarian circumstances due to the ongoing conflict since last March and the persistent blockade that forces of Houthi-Saleh alliance have been tightly imposing on the city for more than a month. The team met up with officials of four main hospitals operating in the city: General Teaching Republican Hospital, Al-Thawrah Public Hospital, Al-Rawdhah and Al-Safwah private hospitals. These hospitals are the most important ones in the city for the time being.
General Teaching Al-Gumhouri Hospital is a state hospital in the city and has a capacity of 500 beds and a staff of 600 employees. For the time being, the hospital accommodates 80 beds and has only 3% of the workforce needed for the hospital to be fully operational. Most of the staff are now volunteers, according to a senior official in the hospital.
According to the official, the hospital was badly damaged due to the ongoing conflict, as it is located in an area that has previously witnessed crossfire. As a result, the hospital is unable to perform its duties as it should be due to shortcomings in power, fuel, medical supplies and water.
"There is around 12500 liters of diesel being stashed away in the warehouses of the Houthi-run Yemeni Oil Company and couldn't reach the hospital. We managed to get limited medications smuggled by some individuals. What is important is the availability of fuels that are essential for the hospital to operate. The closure of the hospital is imminent due to the lack of fuels. Renal Dialysis Department resumed its operation after it was closed for one day on October 7, 2015, due to the deficiency in solutions necessary for renal dialysis. However, the department is still in danger of closure due to the lack of necessary solutions and fuels and that the available amount barley suffices for two weeks. "He said
"Medical supplies and renal dialysis solutions couldn't reach the hospital because of the ongoing siege that has even prevented the hospital from receiving assistance from any international organizations. The whole hospital has only two oxygen cylinders and these complications threaten the continuity of the hospital in these current critical conditions”, he added.
(3 more hospitals)
Mwatana's team made sure during its field visit to Taiz that forces of both Houthi armed group and former president Saleh have been imposing a suffocating blockade on the city through the main crossings manned by these forces in areas of Thaabat, Salh, Al-Howban and Berbasha. The team also has witnessed these forces in the checkpoints intercepting and preventing foodstuffs, medical supplies and fuels from getting into the city
Targeting civilians and depriving them of the staple necessities of life such as water, food and medicine is regarded as a grave violation of the international human laws and human rights alike. Roma's fundamental convention of the International Criminal Court (ICC) drawn up in 1998 mandates that bringing about great suffering or doing harm to civilians' bodies or health is one of the flagrant violations. Item 25 of article (8/B) states that the deliberate starvation of civilians as a war strategy by means of depriving them of the indispensible necessities and hindering relief aids as laid out in Geneva Conventions is a war crime.
All activities carried out by forces of Houthi-Saleh alliance run counter to the Fourth Geneva Convention, especially article 17 which states that it is vital that the warring parties take precautionary measures to evacuate the injured, the sick, the elderly, kids and women in childbed out of the enclosed or besieged areas and that religious men of all religions and paramedics should have unfettered access to such areas
Radhya Al-Mutawakil, chairperson of Mwatana Organization for Human Rights, said, " Forces of Houthi-Saleh alliance have to immediately respond to the dire humanitarian situation in the city and lift the blockade on the staple necessities, medical supplies and operational materials needed for hospitals. They have to stop policy of collective punishment that jeopardizes the lives of hundreds of unarmed civilians."
"In addition to the general state of decline that almost all Yemeni hospitals have been witnessing because of the deficiencies in drugs and medical supplies due to aerial and maritime siege imposed by Saudi-led Arab Coalition since last March., the situation of hospitals in Taiz city is worse than all. Most of the hospitals in the city are on the circle of collapse brought about by suffocating blockade imposed by forces of Houthi-Saleh alliance since over a month. "
http://mwatana.org/en/13112015440
Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
15.11.2015 – Fars News
Yemeni Forces Destroy Another Saudi Warship
Yemen's army and popular forces targeted and destroyed a Saudi warship in the waters near Bab al-Mandab Strait, the fifth Saudi vessel sinking in waters offshore Yemen in the last one month.
The Saudi warship was targeted with Yemeni missiles in the coastal waters in the province of Ta'iz today.
The sunken ship had repeatedly fired rockets at residential areas in Ta'iz province, inflicting casualties and destruction there.
This is the fifth time that a Saudi warship is sent deep into the waters of Bab al-Mandab Strait by the Yemeni forces.
Other Saudi battleships that were approaching Yemen's coasts retreated fast following the attack.
The coast of Al-Mukha is located in Bab al-Mandab strait and the Saudi-led forces have been trying hard for several months now to win control over the coastal regions near the waterway.
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940824001454
15.11.2015 – Press TV Iran
Yemen’s Ansarullah, army make gains in south
Yemeni forces have gained more ground in their fight against militants loyal to the fugitive former president, Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, in the southern part of the country.
On Sunday, fighters of the Houthi Ansarullah movement supported by the Yemeni military engaged Hadi forces in the province of Lahij, killing four militants and injuring five others, Yemeni media reported.
Ansarullah fighters also managed to push Saudi-backed militants from the strategic areas of Dhubab and Bab el-Mandeb, and they were forced to retreat to some regions in Lahij.
Houthis made further advances in the southern provinces of Dhale and Ta'izz and cleared some areas there from Saudi-backed militants.
The army and allied Popular Committees also destroyed in their mortar attacks a number of armored vehicles near a military base in the southwestern Saudi border city of Najran.
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/11/15/437699/Yemen-Ansarullah-Yemeni-army-Saudi-Arabia-Hadi-Lahij
Kommentar: Demnach sind die Houthis weiter auf dem Vormarsch. Und die gegenseite berichtet ihre Erfolge:
15.11.2015 – Albawaba
Saudi-led coalition forces retake strategic area near Yemen’s Taiz
Saudi-led coalition forces have taken control of Al Najd, a strategic area linking Aden and Taiz. Militias have been trying to control the area to cut off the coalition’s supplies and armaments coming from Aden, Sky News Arabia reported on Sunday.
On Saturday evening, dozens of platoons of the people’s resistance advanced to the peak of Jabal Saber, overlooking Taiz, aiming to cut off the supply route for Houthi militias.
According to Sky News Arabia, on Saturday, the coalition’s air force shelled Houthi sites for the first time.
Meanwhile, violent confrontations between Houthi militias on one hand, and the Yemeni National Army and the people’s resistance on the other are ongoing at the border posts between Taiz and Haj, Yemeni sources said on Sunday.
Meanwhile, reinforcements of the Saudi-led coalition forces and the people’s resistance made their way into Dhabab, a small coastal town near Bab Al Mandeb, Yemen Press said on Sunday.
Sources said that the reinforcements may be involved in the military operations aiming to retake the city and port of Mokha in the Taiz province. The area is currently controlled by Houthi forces.
14.11.2015 – The National UAE
UAE Patriot system shoots down Houthi missiles in Yemen
A UAE Patriot missile system has shot down two ballistic missiles fired at Yemeni military targets by Houthi rebels in the province of Marib.
The first missile was shot down late on Friday in the Al Gofainah area, where there are military camps of soldiers loyal to president Abdrabu Mansur Hadi, Brigadier General Murad Turaiq, the commander of the Yemeni military in Marib and Bayda provinces, told The National on Saturday.
He said the second missile was shot down over the control and operations building for military camps in both Marib and neighbouring Al Jawf province. Neither missile reached their intended target and there were no casualties.
The UAE deployed the Patriot missile system to Marib in September, shortly after 52 Emirati soldiers and 15 other fighters from the Saudi Arabia-led coalition were killed in a Houthi missile attack on the coalition’s Safer camp in the province.
Brig Gen Turaiq on Saturday thanked the UAE for providing Marib with the system.
Marib, which lies east of the capital, Sanaa, was liberated at the start of October by Yemeni soldiers and tribesmen loyal to Mr Hadi, backed by coalition forces.
http://www.thenational.ae/world/middle-east/uae-patriot-system-shoots-down-houthi-missiles-in-yemen
13.11.2015 – Iran Press TV
Fresh Saudi aerial attacks claim more lives in Yemen
More people have lost their lives in Yemen as Saudi Arabia launches fresh air raids against the impoverished Arab nation in defiance of calls for ending the deadly offensive.
At least two Yemenis were killed and three others were reported injured in Saudi air raids on Harad district in Hajjah province on Friday.
Saudi warplanes also targeted a number of localities in Hidan district of northern Sa’ada province.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s Ansarullah fighters have also seized a large depot of Saudi ammunition in southwestern province of Ta’izz.
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/11/13/437534/Yemen-Saudi-Hajjah-Saada-Hadi
13.11.2015 – Haidar Sumeri
Massive depot full of #Saudi small arms/ammunition seized by Houthi fighters in Taiz, southwestern #Yemen.
https://twitter.com/IraqiSecurity/status/665229944167993344
Kommentar: Die Saudis bringen Waffen nach Taiz, auf dass das Gemetzel dort weitergehe. Die Waffen gehen am Ende ja an beide Seiten, wie diese Bilder von den Waffen zeigen, die nun die Huthi erbeutet haben. Medikamente und medizinbedarf würden in Taiz dringendst gebraucht. Das ist den Saudis egal. Das bringen sie nicht hin.
12.11.2015 – Alalalam
Yemeni Forces Artillery Kill Saudi Mercenaries in Taiz
The Yemeni forces have used advanced artilleries to attack the armored vehicles of Saudi-led coalition forces and so far they have killed tens of Sudanese Mercenaries and have destroyed 3 of their armored vehicles in Taiz
http://en.alalam.ir/news/1758668
29.10.2015 – youtube
the moment of take-off of the flight squadron of Anad base and implementation of the raids led by Yemeni pilots
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Br3bDJDq3k
Kommentar: This is a video which shows Yemeni pilots joining the Saudi-backed coalition aerial bombardment. Unfortunately this has already caused so much anger in Sanaa and the north that it has caused a further gulf between the North and South Yemen - those from the north saying that the south is now bombing them. It makes it more difficult to find a peaceful solution. Every day seems to make peace more elusive.
https://www.facebook.com/yemennewstodayenglish/posts/1053566921462465
Huthis
14.11.2015 – Human Rights Watch
Yemen: Travel Ban on Women’s Rights Advocate
Houthis Bar Shafiqa al-Wahsh From Regional Peace Dialogues
Houthi officials in Yemen have barred a prominent women’s rights advocate from traveling to preparatory peace talk meetings in the region, Human Rights Watch said today. The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, should lift all travel restrictions on Dr. Shafiqa al-Wahsh, director of the semi-governmental Women’s National Committee of Yemen, and her colleagues to enable them to take part in dialogues abroad.
“The Houthi authorities are sending a terrible message by barring women who are trying to bring safety and security to Yemen from leaving the country,” said Sarah Taylor, the women, peace, and security advocate at Human Rights Watch. “Women have a right to participate and an essential role to play in peace talks if the concerns of the whole Yemeni population are to be addressed.”
https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/11/14/yemen-travel-ban-womens-rights-advocate
Hadi-Regierung und Südjemen / Hadi government and Southern Yemen
13.11.2015 – Euronews
Jemen vor dem Kollaps: “Wir stecken jetzt in den tiefsten Abgründen der Katastrophe”
Es ist das letzte Aufgebot zur ansatzweisen Aufrechterhaltung der öffentlichen Ordnung. In der jemenitischen Hafenstadt Aden, einem Brennpunkt des erbittert geführten Bürgerkriegs, führt praktisch Jedermann Straßenkontrollen durch. Das Spektrum reicht von bewaffneten Jugendlichen bis hin zu versprengten Mitgliedern von Rebellengruppen.
Die Behörden haben laut Adens Sicherheitschef Mohamed Musaed kapituliert:
“Dieser Krieg hat alles zerstört inklusive der Sicherheitskräfte. Ex-Präsident Ali Saleh hatte treue Gefolgsleute um sich geschart, die nach seinem Sturz verschwanden. Heute vertrauen wir jungen Widerstandskämpfern, die sich zusammen mit Anwohnern und verbliebenen Sicherheitskräften um die Ordnung kümmern.”
13.11.2015 – Middle East Monitor
Yemeni government integrates 'resistance' fighters into the army
The Yemeni government has started taking measures to hasten the process of integrating pro-government “popular resistance” fighters into the army and security institutions.
In a statement issued yesterday, the government said it had started gradually integrating the “popular resistance” into the national army and security forces, and their units are currently being formed. The government also stated that it opened two camps to receive and train fighters since the presidential order was issued.
The statement noted that the members of the popular resistance, who are currently being trained and qualified, that graduate will be stationed in the Fourth Military Region in Aden, Lahj, Abyan, Al-Dhale and Taiz.
Recruiting members of the national army is ongoing, the statement explained, adding that this is "the first step on the national path”.
Integrating the national resistance into the army and security institutions is “an important step” which began “a while ago”, the statement explained, stressing that the government will continue to do so in order to uphold its commitment to move them from a voluntary and popular position to an institutional one.
UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks
15.11.2015 – Sahar TV
Yémen : Ansarallah pose ses conditions pour prendre part à la Conférence de Genève
IRIB- Le président de la Haute-Commission révolutionnaire du Yémen a assujetti la participation à la Conférence de Genève-2 à l’acquisition d’un accord sur la présence des représentants du gouvernement démissionnaire à cette conférence.
« Le Mouvement d’Ansarallah ne prendra part à la Conférence de Genève-2, s’il ne tombe pas d’accord avec la partie adverse sur la présence de ses représentants à cette conférence », a déclaré Mohammed Ali Al-Houthi.
Pour ce responsable d’Ansarallah, un vrai dialogue dépend de la fin des opérations militaires au Yémen. « Si l’Arabie saoudite continue d’attaquer le Yémen, ses positions militaires seront fort probablement prises pour cible des Yéménites », a-t-il affirmé.
Kommentar: Die Teilnahme an den Friedensgesprächen machen die Huthis von der Zahl ihrer Delegierten abhängig? Das wäre reichlich dumm.
13.11.2015 – Yemeniaty
Yemen: A Time to Heal
The war in Yemen should never have taken place, but it did. Now, it is time for an outside power to stop the insanity. The United Nation’s Special Envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, is valiantly trying to corral all sides to peace talks in hopes of ending the war. However, such talks are not likely to succeed without strong support from the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (P5).
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the Houthis are the main adversaries, despite the multiplicity of players on both sides of this equation. Both sides now have come to realize that neither one can achieve absolute victory.
KSA has been spending hundreds of millions of dollars a month on this war effort and has imported about as many foreign fighters as are willing to come to Yemen. But as the Saudis, allied with the popular resistance, isolate the Houthis and push them back to the North, the latter have responded with a counter attack inside the Kingdom, threatening not only Saudi cities and military bases but, more importantly, Saudi’s internal stability. If Saudi leadership wants a stable relationship with its southern neighbor, this is the time to end the operation in Yemen. Complete victory through the total humiliation of Yemen’s northern tribes would leave KSA with an angry, impoverished neighbor, severing the diplomatic ties much needed in peacetime.
Both sides, however, seem to be locked into mortal combat and neither side is willing to take obvious, unilateral steps towards an exit from the vicious cycle of violence in which they are stuck, such as: putting an immediate end to the fighting , signing a non-aggression agreement, and holding an internal Yemeni summit.
A third party, an out-of-region force, needs to impose a solution to save the Yemeni people from the humanitarian disaster
The steps the P5 must agree on and impose are as follows:
1. KSA and the Houthis must simultaneously take steps to completely and immediately end the war; the former to stop the bombing over Yemen completely and immediately, the latter to pull forces out of Ta’izz and all areas south and east of Sana’a.
2.Immediate talks to take place in Geneva between KSA and Houthi representatives to agree on steps to disengage their own forces and those supporting them by creating demilitarized zones on the ground. It is imperative in this regard for KSA to pull out any foreign forces it has introduced into Yemen. A non-aggression pledge by both sides should seal this plan.
3. Following the previous steps, a Yemeni summit should be held.
(following five more points) – by Nabeel A. Khoury
This mission, should he decide to accept it, is for Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed to undertake and push through with the various players. If he drives it to its logical conclusion, he could certainly be a contender for the next Nobel peace prize – by Nabeel A. Khoury
http://yemeniaty.com/blog/yemen-a-time-to-heal/
Commentary: A much better idea of the role of the UNSC than has happened so far - a suggestion that the next resolution needs to be two sided and impose restrictions and conditions on Saudi and the Houthis. 2216 was a travesty - the world virtually condemned the Yemeni population to destruction death and despair.
https://www.facebook.com/yemennewstodayenglish/posts/1054433264709164
Vereinigte Arabische Emirate / United Arab Emirates
15.11.2015 – Strategy Page
Armor: Arab Made Armor Rolls Into Yemen
For example there were two locally made armored vehicles sent to Yemen; NIMR and Enigma. The UAE military has bought over 1,500 NIMR military trucks. NIMR is produced by a UAE company with an assembly plant in Jordan. It is a hummer-like vehicle designed to cope with the high heat and abundant sand and dust found in the Middle East.
Another new UAE armored vehicle sent to Yemen, the Enigma 8x8 IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle), which only entered service recently and was still undergoing field testing. Despite that the 25 available Enigmas were sent off to war, where they have performed well. The Enigma is a 28 ton IFV with a V shaped bottom (for protection against mines and roadside bombs). It uses a Russian turret (the one for the BMP 3) and has a crew of three. Eight troops can be carried in the back. The turret is armed with a 100mm gun that fires laser-guided projectiles or several types of shells. In addition there is a 30mm automatic cannon and a 7.62mm machine-gun.
Since the 1990s the UAE has invested heavily in defense manufacturers inside the UAE and the Middle East. One of these firms is Adcom Systems United which has been around for 25 years and produces a wide range of military equipment. It does this by licensing a lot of technology and forming partnerships with high-tech firms in the West. Adcom has been working on UAVs since 2003 and has delivered several models for both military, police and commercial use.
The UAE has been encouraging local companies to develop weapons for use by local forces and export markets. So far this has resulted in UAE firms manufacturing military trucks, guided missiles, and small arms. Despite this since 2008 UAE has become the third largest importer of weapons in the world and the largest in the Middle East.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htarm/articles/20151115.aspx
13.11.2015 – Emirates 24 7
UAE sends 840 tonnes of aid to cyclone victims
It is part of ongoing aid programme for Yemen
The UAE has sent more than 840 tonnes of medicine, food and other relief aid to Yemen to help the victims of two destructive cyclones that have battered the Arab country.
The Emirates Red Crescent, which supervises official UAE aid to the conflict-hit nation, has already distributed nearly 500 tonnes of aid worth more than 2.9 million to the cyclone victims and more assistance is on its way as part of an ongoing aid programme, according to the UAE Ministry of Development and International Cooperation.
Two planeloads of aid were also sent this week by the Khalifa bin Zayed Foundation while a ship carrying 750 tonnes of food, medicine and fuel sailed towards Aden on Tuesday, the Ministry said in a report published by the semi-official daily Al Ittihad.
“The total aid sent by the UAE to the victims of the two cyclones Chapala and Megh in Yemen has exceeded 840 tonnes… more aid will be sent as part of an ongoing programme ordered by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.”
Kommentar: Das ist eine respektable Hilfe, die auch anderen Ländern gut angestanden hätte.
Großbritannien / Great Britain
14.11.2015 – The National
MP Thewliss condemns Home Office on Yemeni policy
IT IS a country considered so unsafe that the UK closed its embassy and will not help British nationals remaining there escape.
However, “heartless” immigration officials advise failed asylum seekers from Yemen to return to what remains of their devastated nation.
Now Alison Thewliss MP is challenging Home Secretary Theresa May to correct the discrepancy in policy and help the Yemenis live safely in the UK following appeals by constituents in central Glasgow.
In an official letter, she asked May: “I ask you, Secretary of State, why is it not safe for Glaswegians to go to Yemen but it is perfectly ok for our adopted Glaswegians to go there?”
Thewliss is currently assisting one such “adopted Glaswegian”, left destitute after the Home Office rejected his asylum claim and evicted him from his flat.
The 40-year-old, who did not want to be named, arrived in the UK in 2009 from Sana’a, the former capital of Yemen now in the hands of Houthi rebels.
The pharmacist suffered persecution and torture and says a return to his homeland would mean death – by Kirsteen Patterson
http://www.thenational.scot/news/mp-thewliss-condemns-home-office-on-yemeni-policy.9996
Eritrea
14.11.2015 – The Reporter
What has Eritrea got to do with the crisis in Yemen?
Recent reports show that Eritrea is officially involved in the Yemeni crisis allowing the Saudi-led Arab coalition to use its Assab port, airspace and territorial waters in fighting the Houthi rebels.
The news comes after the UN Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea reported that Saudi Arabia and the UAE made the deal with Eritrea after neighboring Djibouti rejected the proposal. The arrangement would allow the coalition to use Eritrea’s land to establish a military base instead of fighting on Yemeni soil. Eritrea’s support also includes sending over 400 soldiers to join the Emirati contingent forces in fighting against the strong Houthi forces.
It was also reported that Eritrea will receive fuel and financial compensation in return. The UN fears the agreement may violate the Security Council resolutions, which were imposed against Eritrea in case it diverted the compensation and destabilized the horn region.
For South Front, the Saudi and Emirati presence in Eritrea will not be limited by the duration of the Yemeni conflict. The UAE took Assab on lease for 30 years. Separately, South Front reported the UAE is seeking to take a former naval base in Berbera, Somaliland on lease.
“The Emirati activity in Eritrea is a first step in a big plan to establish a naval base network on the Horn of Africa’s coast,” the analyst concluded.
Apart from this, it is clear that the US and French governments have naval and military bases in Djibouti. In this case, the current Arab alliance in Yemen and their expansion to the Horn of Africa might remake the geopolitical settings of the East African region – by Yemane Ngaish
Südafrika / South Africa
15.11.2015 – Sunday Times
SA arms used to bomb civilians in Yemen
South African military equipment is being used by both sides in a bloody civil war that has caused a humanitarian crisis and reduced entire cities to rubble in Yemen.
http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes/stnews/2015/11/15/SA-arms-used-to-bomb-civilians-in-Yemen
Kommentar: Die sind auch noch bei den Waffenlieferanten dabei…
Propaganda
15.11.2015 – Emirates 24 7
'Our main battle is Sanaa'Taiz battle close: Yemen army officer
The final coalition of offensive to eject the Iranian-backed coup insurgents out of Taiz is close and it will not be affected by any political moves, the military commander in the besieged Southeastern Yemeni town said in press comments on Sunday.
Brigadier Adnan Al Hammadi, chief of the Brigade 35 in the national Yemeni army and popular resistance, said the national allies had received enough armoured vehicles and other military equipment from the Saudi-led coalition to launch the liberation battle.
“The army and the resistance in Taiz do not believe in any political settlement with the Houthis and their allies because they are crooked and they just want time to change some positions and make advancements on the front in order to cause a media storm.
“The enemy has been massing its elite forces in the Taiz front. You know why, because they want the main battle to be in Taiz, but we tell them that Taiz will be liberated soon and the main battle will be in Saana, the birthplace of the Houthi leader, and Sanaa, the birthplace of Saleh.”
http://www.emirates247.com/news/our-main-battle-is-sanaa-2015-11-15-1.610490
Kommentar: War da nicht etwas mit UN-Friedensverhandlungen? Der Mann gehört zu den jemenitischen Kräften, die auf Seiten der Saudis kämpfen. Diese z. T. sehr dubiosen Kämpfer sollen jetzt in die jemenitische (Hadi-)Armee aufgenommen werden. Sehen Sie mal den „General“ im Bild an. Viel Spaß damit, Herr Hadi.
15.11.2015 – Emirates 24 7
Houthis recruiting African mercenaries in Yemen
Iranian-backed Houthis and their coup allies are training Africans to fight with them in Yemen and two of them were captured by the national resistance on Saturday, a Yemeni news network reported on Sunday.
Marib Press quoted a statement by the resistance as saying it captured seven insurgents during clashes that erupted when the rebels tried to infiltrate into their areas in the Southwestern Aldale town.
“Two of those captured are Ethiopians. The Houthis and their allies are recruiting mercenaries from African countries by training them at their military camps in Alhudeiydah and Albaydah,” a resistance source told the network.
http://www.emirates247.com/news/houthis-recruiting-african-mercenaries-in-yemen-2015-11-15-1.610493
Kommentar: In Anbetracht der Mengen an Söldnern, die die Saudis und die Golfstaaten in ganz Nordafrika und dazu noch in Kolumbien eingekauft haben, wurde der Artikel unter “Propaganda” verschoben. Der Artikel wirft den Huthis außerdem zahlreiche Verbrechen in der Provinz Ibb vor.
14.11.2015 – Doctors Without Borders
MSF has temporarily suspended activities in Al Jamhoury hospital in Hajjah because of the presence of armed guards at the gate of the hospital. A medical facility is a neutral humanitarian space and having armed men guarding the gate can put at risk patients and medical staff.
MSF has expressed its deep concern to the local authorities and hopes for the fast resolution of the problem so we can resume the much needed assistance to a population hardly hit by the current conflict in Yemen.
Und was die Propaganda daraus macht:
14.11.2015 – Emirates 24 7
Medical group quits Yemen hospital for Houthi arms storing
Says Houthis turned hospital into military barrack
An international medical group volunteering to help war victims in Yemen has quit a key hospital to protest practices by the coup rebels, including storing weapons at the hospital, a Yemeni news network reported on Saturday. Doctors without borders, officially known as “Medecins sans Frontieres”, said it decided to suspend its activities at the hospital in the Northwestern town of Hajjah because of such practices by the Iranian-backed Houthis, who control the town. “The group said it suspended all its activities at the hospital after it found that the Houthis are storing arms and have turned the hospital into a barracks without any consideration to the feeling of the patients,” Masdar Online said. It quoted the group as saying in a statement that it would not resume its medical activities at the hospital unless the Houthis “leave and take their arms away.” “The group described the Houthi practices as immoral as they pushed many hospital staff members to quit and forced a large number of patients to flee as they fear the hospital could be a target for coalition jets because of the weapons,” it added.
14.11.2015 – Telepolis
"Saudi Arabien hat sich einen Medienschutzschild zusammengekauft"
Ob al Jazeera, Facebook oder Twitter, ob arabischer Frühling oder Islamischer Staat: Im Guten wie im Schlechten spielen Kommunikationsmedien eine wichtige politische Rolle im Nahen Osten. Wie sieht es aber im Vergleich zu den neuen mit den traditionellen Medien dort aus? Wird den neuen Medien eine tragende Funktion unterstellt und angedichtet, um anderswo von der politischen Verantwortung für die unheilvolle politische Entwicklung ablenken zu können? Telepolis sprach mit der Kommunikationsforscherin Carola Richter und dem Politologen Asiem El Difraoui, die den Sammelband Arabische Medien herausgegeben haben.
Saudi Arabien ist der größte Medienbesitzer des Nahen Ostens, es besitzt immense Anteile an allen arabischen Tageszeitungen und hat sich regelrecht einen Medienschutzschild zusammen gekauft: Durch die Beherrschung der größten Zeitungen und Fernsehsender haben sie sich einen Bereich geschaffen, in dem kritische Stimmen zur Innenpolitik kaum mehr durchdringen. Saudi Arabien hat sich Kritik einfach weg gekauft, um sich international nicht angreifbar zu machen.
Die Idee von Medien als politischen Instrumenten ist verbreitet und hat sich auch mit privaten Medien nicht verändert. Im Gegenteil - Privatinvestoren weisen häufig eine große Nähe zur Politik auf beziehungsweise sind selbst Teil der politischen Elite und verfolgen mit ihren Medien häufig eine mehr oder minder dezidierte Interessenspolitik.
Heute hat Al-Jazeera durch sein nicht gerade objektives Einschwenken auf eine aggressive Außenpolitik Qatars im Zuge der arabischen Umbrüche an Glaubwürdigkeit verloren. Ein Großteil des arabischen Mittelstands und der Jugend informiert sich vorrangig über die in den sozialen Medien aufgebauten eigenen Netzwerke über das politische Geschehen. Dabei kann man aber nicht davon ausgehen, dass soziale Medien generell unabhängiger wären. Es findet mittlerweile eher eine Polarisierung statt - jeder sucht sich aus den sozialen Medien die Fakten und Meinungen heraus, die sie oder er für richtig hält. Es fehlt an unabhängigem Journalismus.
Für den Aufstieg des Salafismus waren weniger die neuen Medien als große Satellitensender verantwortlich, die aus der arabischen Welt ausgestrahlt werden. Hier wie auch beim Aufstieg des Dschihadismus wurde die Rolle des Internets übertrieben, damit sich gewisse Leute aus ihrer politischen Verantwortung herausreden können. Die Radikalisierung findet nämlich nur bei dreißig Prozent der Leute über das Internet statt, meist ist es doch das persönliche Umfeld oder die Moschee.
Andererseits ist es wichtig festzustellen, dass es die dschihadistische Bewegung ohne das Internet gar nicht existieren würde, weil dies erst die Kohärenz schafft: Es verbindet die Leute von Boko Haram über Saudi Arabien, den Irak und Syrien bis nach Afghanistan. Trotzdem spielen aber, wie gesagt, persönliche Kontakte eine sehr wichtige Rolle. Interviewer: Reinhard Jellen
http://www.heise.de/tp/artikel/46/46478/1.html
13.11.2015 – Ahmed Alhobishi
Saudi-Arabien hat nach diesem Bericht erheblichen Druck auf youtube ausgeübt und viel Geld aufgewendet, um einen Film von Al Qaida wieder zu löschen, der zeigt, wie al Qaida die pro-Hadi-Kämpfer in Taiz unterstützt:
Why intervened Saudi intelligence is putting pressure hysterical, and spent large sums in bribes to delete the video, issued by the organization of bar (base), about the participation of his fighters in the fight against the army and people's committees in Taiz under the name of (Popular Resistance), and then he published on the channel site (epics) after an hour and forty minutes of the broadcast, which began in the fourth hour of dawn on Wednesday, was Hzgah from YouTube site all over the world, and all the social networking sites in America and Europe at five and forty minutes from dawn on Wednesday, pressured Saudi Arabia and the US? (übersetzt mit google translator)
https://www.facebook.com/Ahmedalhobishi/posts/981164571922336
Terrorismus / Terrorism
14.11.2015 – The Nation
A bomb exploded on Friday during midday prayers at a mosque frequented by Houthi supporters in Yemen's northwestern Mahwit region, killing several worshippers and wounding others, residents said.
The blast took place in Shibam, a city about 40 km (25 miles) outside the capital Sanaa which has been an area of relative calm in the conflict-stricken country.
http://nation.com.pk/international/14-Nov-2015/worshippers-killed-as-bomb-hits-yemen-mosque
14.11.2015 – The Independent
ISIS in five charts
http://i100.independent.co.uk/article/isis-in-five-charts--ZyEuJ0Z4Fx
Flüchtlinge / Refugees
14.11.2015 – Aljazeera (with photos / mit Fotos)
Yemeni refugees seek shelter in Djibouti
As Yemen's conflict grinds on, the refugee population at Djibouti's Markazi camp has quadrupled since late September.
As fighting intensifies in Yemen, over 120,000 people have fled since April. Around 30,000 of those have sought safety across the Gulf of Aden in Djibouti.
Since late September, the population of Markazi camp near the Djiboutian coastal town of Obock has quadrupled to more than 2,600 Yemeni refugees, including civilians who were wounded in the war and require medical treatment.
Many refugees are women and children, who have arrived traumatised and in need of psychological support. As the camp expands, so too does the need to develop community centres and other facilities to help refugees heal and rebuild their lives - but humanitarian agencies say there is a dire lack of funding.
13.11.2015 – UN
Reverse exodus: refugees flee Yemen for strife-riven Horn of Africa, UN reports
In a reversal of a multi-year boat exodus that has seen hundreds of thousands of Somalis risk death at sea to flee their strife-riven land to seek refuge in Yemen, thousands of Yemenis are now fleeing from their own war-torn country to Djibouti, Somalia's neighbour, across the Gulf of Aden.
“We have many refugees who recently arrived to the camp, and we can see from their faces and
whenever we talk to them that they are traumatized,” says Abdul Rahman Mnawar, community services officer at Markazi camp where the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and its partners are providing aid in this small desert country in the Horn of Africa.
“They have been through a lot during their flight,” he added, stressing that one of the most urgent issues is providing counselling and emotional support, especially to those who witnessed violence and killings first hand.
As fighting intensifies in Yemen, over 120,000 refugees and migrants have fled since April, with more than 15,000 seeking safety in Djibouti, according to UNHCR.
Though the numbers pale in comparison to the refugees who have fled Africa to Yemen – last month UNHCR reported that there were some 265,000 there, over 250,000 of them Somalis, beyond the countless thousands who fled in previous years and moved on – they are still significant in Djibouti, whose total population is about 820,000.
Since the end of September, more than 2,000 Yemenis have fled to Djibouti, bringing the number in Markazi camp to around 2,800. As violence at home rages on, seeking safety on the western shores of the Gulf of Aden is increasingly becoming the only resort for thousands of Yemenis.
“We are at about full capacity in Markazi camp,” said Mr. Mnawar. “We already need to plan the extension of the camp to welcome additional refugees.”
Not that the violence in Yemen has stopped Somalis from still seeing it as a refuge from their own violence-torn country. UNHCR reported last month that 70,000 refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants crossed over to the country.
The sea route is extremely dangerous, and 88 deaths have been recorded so far this year. The crews of the people-smuggling boats also frequently brutalize the passengers.
According to UNHCR, the exodus to Yemen has shifted eastwards from the Gulf of Aden to the Arabian Sea coast where people believe the situation is calmer, resulting in over 10,000 new arrivals in September, a 50 per cent increase on August, and over 10,000 in October.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=52553#.VkeBxHYvfcs
Neue Artikel zum Nachlesen 1-49: / Yemen Press reader 1-49:
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