Yemen

Background reviewed 2026-10-23 · Background as of 2026-10

Background

Yemen’s war began when the Houthi movement (Ansar Allah) took the capital Sanaa in September 2014. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognised government. A UN-mediated truce in April 2022 greatly reduced large-scale fighting, although it formally expired in October 2022.

From November 2023 the Houthis attacked commercial shipping in the Red Sea and launched missiles and drones towards Israel, leading to US, UK and Israeli strikes in Yemen. In December 2025 the Southern Transitional Council (STC) moved forces into the eastern provinces of Hadramawt and Mahra; government forces backed by Saudi Arabia retook much of Hadramawt in early January 2026.

History

North and South Yemen unified in 1990, and a short civil war in 1994 ended with the north’s victory. The Houthi movement, from the northern Saada region, fought six rounds of war with the government of President Ali Abdullah Saleh between 2004 and 2010.

Following the 2011 uprisings, Saleh handed power to his deputy Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi in a Gulf-brokered transition. The process collapsed when the Houthis took Sanaa in 2014. The war that followed drew in a Saudi-led coalition, separatists in the south and armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. A UN-mediated truce in 2022 greatly reduced fighting inside Yemen, although the country remains divided.

Main parties

Houthi movement (Ansar Allah) — Controls Sanaa and much of the populous north-west.
Internationally recognised government — Led by the Presidential Leadership Council, supported by Saudi Arabia.
Southern Transitional Council (STC) — Southern separatist movement backed by the UAE, based in Aden.
Foreign forces — Saudi Arabia, the United States, the United Kingdom and Israel have carried out strikes in Yemen.

Key dates

2014-09-21 — The Houthis take control of Sanaa.
2015-03-26 — A Saudi-led coalition begins military operations.
2022-04-02 — A UN-mediated nationwide truce begins.
2023-11-19 — The Houthis seize the cargo ship Galaxy Leader, beginning a campaign against Red Sea shipping.
2024-01-12 — The United States and United Kingdom begin strikes on Houthi targets.
2025-05-06 — Oman announces a US–Houthi agreement to stop attacks on each other’s forces.
2025-12 — STC forces move into Hadramawt and Mahra provinces.
2026-01 — Saudi-backed government forces retake most of Hadramawt.

Humanitarian situation

Yemen remains one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with a majority of the population needing assistance, widespread food insecurity and recurring cholera outbreaks. Aid operations in Houthi-held areas have been severely constrained, including by the detention of UN and NGO staff.

How to read reports about Yemen

Ship attacks at sea are not mapped as points; they appear in the news list only.
Place names in Yemen have many English spellings (for example Hodeidah / Hudaydah).

Recent events

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