Yemen's Crisis: A Critical Review of Failed Policies and Unaddressed Responsibilities

The current devastating crisis in Yemen stems from a series of critical policy errors and a failure to acknowledge the realities on the ground, necessitating an urgent and unsparing review of past decisions and ongoing strategies.

The article critiques the trajectory of the Yemeni conflict, asserting that persistent misguided policies, a refusal to accept unfavorable outcomes, and the suppression of dissent have prolonged the war and exacerbated the nation's collapse, rather than leading to the restoration of state institutions. It posits that the situation demands a clear-eyed assessment of how Yemen reached its current predicament and who bears responsibility for the prevailing consequences.

The origins of Yemen's tragedy are presented not as a singular event but as a confluence of accumulated political, economic, social, and military factors. The Houthi militia's seizure of Sana'a in September 2014 and the subsequent disintegration of state institutions marked a new phase of conflict. The intervention of the Arab coalition in March 2015, initiated at the request of then-President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi under the stated objective of supporting legitimacy and restoring the state, alongside UN Security Council resolutions, aimed to reinstate state institutions and end the Houthi control. However, years later, the stated goals remain largely unfulfilled, with significant deterioration across state functions, economic stability, and public services.

A key failing identified is the expatriation of a large number of Yemeni officials and leaders, which has resulted in a leadership disconnected from the realities faced by the populace within Yemen. This detachment, coupled with the transformation of external residency into a de facto political reality, has led to decision-making processes occurring far from national institutions and public oversight. Furthermore, the article highlights the fragmentation of military and political forces, with a multiplicity of armed formations and competing agendas, often tied to local leaders or regional backers, undermining the unified national objective of state restoration.

The formation of the Presidential Leadership Council in April 2022 is viewed as an attempt to reorganize the anti-Houthi bloc, but its effectiveness has been hampered by internal and regional complexities, a lack of genuine consensus on a national vision, and the persistence of divided loyalties and power centers. This has led to the division extending into institutions meant to symbolize unity, increasing public confusion and weakening the government's capacity for decisive action. The article emphasizes that Yemeni initiatives often become contingent on external approval, raising serious questions about the autonomy of Yemeni political and military decision-making, particularly when external support evolves into guardianship.

The primary beneficiary of this internal division and policy missteps has been the Houthi movement, which has been able to consolidate its position while its adversaries remain fragmented. The article concludes that responsibility for the Yemeni catastrophe is shared, with the Houthi coup being the immediate catalyst and Yemeni leadership bearing significant fault for internal conflicts and corruption. However, it also assigns accountability to coalition nations and influential regional powers for the outcomes of their policies. The path forward requires practical steps including reclaiming Yemeni national decision-making, unifying armed forces, rebuilding state institutions on merit, fostering inclusive dialogue, addressing core national issues through political means, combating corruption, supporting the economy, and repatriating leadership to reconnect with the population and the field.

Ultimately, the article asserts that acknowledging past errors and revising policies are crucial for Yemen's salvation, not an affront to allies. It contends that continuing to justify outcomes, assigning blame solely to one party, and rejecting criticism will only perpetuate failure. The call is for a transition from managing the crisis to resolving it, from managing loyalties to building institutions, and from distributing positions to restoring the state, underpinned by a unified national will, strong institutions, independent decision-making, and a courageous review of mistakes before they become irreparable.