The Ongoing Civil War

Yemen is divided between the Rashad Al-Alimi-led Presidential Leadership Council and Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, who leads the main rebel group against the government, along with their supporters and allies. The war is between the Saudi-backed government, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, and the Southern Transitional Council. This has led to a humanitarian crisis that has been prolonged due to the civil war.

In late 2025, the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a UAE-backed separatist group, launched an offensive against the government seeking to create an independent South Yemen. Meanwhile, the Houthis controlled the capital and much of the north, fighting against the government that the STC had been part of. 

This led to clashes with forces from the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), which is recognized as the government of Yemen internationally. As of the start of this year, PLC forces have launched a counter-offensive on the Houthi rebels, and the government claims to have control over Mukalla and Aden from the STC. 

According to Al-Jazeera reports, the Houthis control the northern part of Yemen and the capital Sanaa. STC forces rapidly advanced inland from the coast, taking Hadramaut and al-Mahra governorates, bordering Oman and Saudi Arabia, which was alarming to Riyadh (the Saudi Arabian capital). As reported by Al-Jazeera, in early December 2025, STC forces overstepped by seizing control of the southern region of Yemen, which Saudi Arabia perceived as a significant threat to its national security.

Hans Grundberg, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen,  goes on to say in a UN news article that the tensions have caused a humanitarian crisis. As of January of this year, he went on to warn about the
economy of Yemen, and millions of Yemenis are at risk of famine, and the health system will collapse. 

The 2025 Humanitarian Needs Plan only received 25% of the money it needed, so services had to be reduced, with the UN asking for $2.5 billion for 2026. Houthi forces are detaining UN and aid workers without reason, which makes it much harder to deliver help, and staff are fearful of being arrested. 

The ongoing conflict in Yemen has led to a serious risk of a humanitarian crisis, made worse by the power struggles between different groups like the government, Houthi rebels, and the STC, with millions at risk of facing famine. There’s not enough funding for humanitarian aid, and there’s a need for urgent international support to help ease the suffering of the Yemenis and bring stability back to the region.