Yemen is Already in a Civil War. Now it Faces a Famine

Shrapnel-injured Yemeni refugee Seif Zeid Abdulah stands on crutches at Markazi camp in Djibouti. Photo: UNHCR/Oualid Khelifi

Yemen was already the poorest country in the region when the country descended into civil war three years ago. Now, millions of people in Yemen are facing a potential famine.

The reasons for this famine? Conflict. Specifically, a potential battle over a key port and also a dispute over control a central bank from which salaries are paid.

On the line with me to discuss the conflict in Yemen and why despite the availability of food Yemen is still at serious risk of famine is Joost Hiltermann, the Middle East and North Africa Director for the International Crisis Group. We discuss how and why this conflict erupted, the role of key regional players like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Iran and how the United States is shaping the conflict. This is a useful look into one of the world’s worst conflicts that gets the least amount of attention.

If you have 20 m…