Yemen

Yemen is a country located on the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, Oman to the east, the Red Sea to the west and the Gulf of Aden to the south. Its capital is Sana'a, though the internationally recognised government has been based in Aden during the ongoing civil conflict. Yemen has a population of around 30 million and an economy historically dependent on oil and gas exports, agriculture, fishing and remittances, though years of war have caused severe humanitarian and economic collapse. Since 2014, the country has been engulfed in a multifaceted civil war involving the Houthi movement, which controls much of the north including Sana'a, and the internationally recognised government backed by a Saudi-led coalition. The conflict has drawn in regional powers, with Iran accused of supporting the Houthis and the United Arab Emirates playing a prominent military role alongside Saudi Arabia. Yemen's strategic position along the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a critical chokepoint for global shipping between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, gives it significant geopolitical importance. Houthi attacks on commercial shipping and infrastructure in the Red Sea have heightened international concern over maritime security and freedom of navigation. The war has created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with widespread famine, disease outbreaks and displacement. International efforts by the United Nations and regional actors to broker ceasefires and political settlements have so far achieved limited success. Yemen's instability has implications for the wider Horn of Africa, the Middle East and global energy markets.