The Houthis: Tenacious rebels in the Yemeni civil war

The Houthi movement, officially known as Ansar Allah (Supporters of God), has transformed from a local Zaidi Shia group in northern Yemen to a dominant force controlling much of the country. Their rise has turned Yemen into a battleground for regional powers and worsened a humanitarian crisis that shows little sign of abating.

The Houthis trace their roots to the 1990s when Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi launched the "Believing Youth" movement in Saada governorate. Initially focused on countering perceived Salafist influence and government neglect, the group's grievances against the central government in Sana'a led to a series of wars between 2004 and 2010.

Adhering to Zaidism, a branch of Shia Islam distinct from Iran's Twelver Shiism, the Houthis have nonetheless found common cause with Tehran. This alliance has alarmed Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, which view the group as an Iranian proxy on the Arabian Peninsula.

The Arab Spring of 2011 created a power vacuum in Yemen that the Houthis swiftly exploited. They expanded their territorial control, capturing Sana'a in 2014 and ousting President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi in early 2015. This prompted a Saudi-led coalition to intervene militarily, escalating a domestic conflict into a broader regional confrontation.

Yemen's economy, already the poorest in the Arab world before the war, has been shattered by the conflict. The United Nations estimates that 80% of the population requires humanitarian assistance. Infrastructure lies in ruins, with hospitals, schools, and water treatment facilities damaged or destroyed. The country's GDP has contracted by an estimated 50% since 2015.

Water scarcity compounds these economic woes. Yemen ranks among the most water-stressed countries globally, with rapidly depleting groundwater resources. This environmental crisis threatens to outlast the current conflict and poses long-term challenges to Yemen's stability and development.

Peace remains elusive in Yemen. UN-brokered talks and periodic ceasefires have failed to yield a comprehensive settlement. The Houthis' entrenched position in the north, combined with the fragmentation of anti-Houthi forces in the south, has created a stalemate. The internationally recognized government, now based in Aden, exercises limited control over its nominal territory.

The Biden administration's efforts to end U.S. support for offensive operations by the Saudi-led coalition have yet to produce a breakthrough. Houthi attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure and shipping in the Red Sea have maintained high tensions and threatened global energy supplies.

Yemen's strategic location at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, controlling access to the Red Sea, has long made it a focus of regional and great power competition. In antiquity, the region was known as "Arabia Felix" (Happy Arabia) for its relative fertility and valuable frankincense and myrrh trade.

The area hosted several powerful kingdoms, including the Sabaeans, whose legendary Queen of Sheba appears in both the Bible and the Quran. Islam arrived in the 7th century, and Yemen came under the rule of various Islamic dynasties. The Ottoman Empire and British Empire both established footholds in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

North Yemen gained independence from the Ottomans in 1918, South Yemen remained a British protectorate until 1967. The two Yemens unified in 1990 under President Ali Abdullah Saleh, but tensions between north and south persisted, contributing to the current conflict.

Remarkably, Yemen once hosted a significant Jewish population. The kingdom of Himyar, which ruled much of southern Arabia from the 2nd century BCE to the 6th century CE, converted to Judaism around 380 AD under King Abu Karib Assad. This made Himyar one of the few Jewish kingdoms outside Israel during antiquity.

The Jewish community in Yemen endured for centuries after the Islamic conquest, developing distinct religious traditions, and playing an important role in trade networks. Persecution and emigration, particularly following Israel's creation in 1948, led to a dramatic decline in numbers. Today, only a handful of Jews remain in Yemen, mostly in government-protected compounds.

The outbreak of hostilities between Hamas and Israel in October 2023 has further complicated the situation in Yemen. The Houthis, long-time supporters of the Palestinian cause, have intensified their anti-Israel and anti-Western rhetoric. This has potentially hardened their stance in negotiations and complicated peace efforts in Yemen.

The conflict has strengthened the alliance between the Houthis and Iran. Tehran's increased focus on the Palestinian issue has led to enhanced support for its proxies across the region, including the Houthis. This manifests as increased arms shipments, financial aid, and diplomatic backing.

Saudi Arabia, leading a coalition against the Houthis since 2015, finds itself in a difficult position. The Gaza conflict has pressured Gulf states to reevaluate their regional priorities, potentially affecting their commitment to the Yemen campaign. The war has drained Saudi resources and tarnished its international reputation, leading to attempts at de-escalation.

Recent diplomatic efforts between Saudi Arabia and Iran, brokered by China, have raised hopes for a potential resolution in Yemen. Yet, progress remains slow, and the conflict's deep-rooted nature makes a quick solution unlikely.

As Yemen enters its ninth year of war, the need for a negotiated settlement grows ever more pressing. The multiplicity of actors involved – from local tribes to regional powers and global interests – makes finding common ground exceptionally difficult. The longer the conflict continues, the more entrenched the war economy becomes, creating vested interests in continued instability.

For the Houthis, the situation is complex. Their military successes have given them a dominant position in northern Yemen, but governing a war-ravaged country presents immense challenges. International legitimacy remains out of reach, complicating reconstruction efforts and limiting economic opportunities.

The cost of failure is quite serious. Yemen's strategic location means that continued chaos threatens global shipping lanes and energy supplies. The humanitarian toll is already staggering, with millions facing acute food insecurity and the constant threat of famine.

Whether the Houthis, their opponents, and their respective backers can find the political road to negotiate a peace agreement in the Red Sea remains unknown.