Who Are Houthis In Yemen?

The Houthis are a Shia Islamist political and military group that controls most of western Yemen, including the capital Sanaa. They have been fighting against the internationally recognized government of Yemen, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, since 2014. The Houthis are also involved in a regional conflict with Israel, launching missile attacks on ships in the Red Sea and seizing vessels linked to Israel. In this article, we will explore the origins, goals, and challenges of the Houthi movement, as well as the humanitarian and geopolitical implications of the Yemeni civil war.

The Origins of the Houthi Movement

The Houthi movement emerged in the 1990s as a cultural and religious revivalist movement for the Zaydi sect of Shia Islam, which is practiced by about 35% of the Yemeni population. The Zaydis are the oldest branch of Shia Islam, and they differ from the mainstream Twelver Shia Islam in some aspects of theology and jurisprudence. The Zaydis ruled Yemen for over a thousand years until 1962, when a republican revolution ended the Zaydi imamate.

The Houthi movement was founded by Hussein al-Houthi, a Zaydi religious leader and former member of parliament, who was inspired by the Iranian revolution and the Lebanese Hezbollah. He accused the Yemeni government of corruption, mismanagement, and being influenced by Saudi Arabia and the United States. He also called for the revival of the Zaydi imamate and the establishment of an Islamic state based on the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad and his family.

Hussein al-Houthi led several armed uprisings against the government between 2004 and 2010, and was killed by the Yemeni army in 2004. His brother, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, took over the leadership of the movement, which adopted the name Ansar Allah, meaning “Supporters of God”. The Houthis adopted a slogan that reads: “God is the Greatest, Death to America, Death to Israel, A Curse Upon the Jews, Victory to Islam”.

The Goals of the Houthi Movement

The Houthi movement claims to represent the interests and rights of the Zaydi community and the Yemeni people in general. They demand more political representation, economic development, social justice, and religious freedom. They also oppose foreign intervention and influence in Yemen, especially from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, and Israel. They accuse these countries of supporting the Yemeni government and waging a war of aggression and genocide against the Yemeni people.

The Houthi movement also has a regional and ideological dimension, as they are part of the “axis of resistance” that includes Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, and Hamas. They share a common hostility towards Israel and its allies, and support the Palestinian cause. They have launched missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as on ships in the Red Sea that are linked to Israel. They have also seized several vessels, including an Israeli-owned cargo ship and a South Korean oil tanker, and demanded the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for their release.

The Houthi movement denies being a proxy or a puppet of Iran, and insists that they have their own independent agenda and decision-making. However, they acknowledge receiving some political and humanitarian support from Iran, and some experts say that they also receive military and financial assistance from Iran and Hezbollah. The Houthi movement also has some ties with Oman, which has a neutral stance in the Yemeni conflict and has mediated between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition.

The Challenges of the Houthi Movement

The Houthi movement faces many challenges and obstacles in achieving its goals and maintaining its control over western Yemen. The most obvious challenge is the military confrontation with the Saudi-led coalition, which has been bombing and blockading Yemen since 2015, in an attempt to restore the government of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, who fled to Saudi Arabia after the Houthis took over Sanaa in 2014. The coalition has also deployed ground troops and supported local militias loyal to the government, especially in the south and east of Yemen.

The Houthi movement also faces internal divisions and conflicts, both within its ranks and with its allies. The Houthis have clashed with other armed groups and tribes in the areas they control, over issues such as power-sharing, resources, and security. The Houthis have also faced a major rift with their former ally, former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who switched sides and joined the Saudi-led coalition in 2017, but was killed by the Houthis shortly after. The Houthis have also faced protests and discontent from some of the civilians living under their rule, who accuse them of repression, corruption, and mismanagement.

The Houthi movement also faces a humanitarian and economic crisis, as Yemen is suffering from the worst humanitarian disaster in the world, according to the United Nations. More than 80% of the population, or about 24 million people, need humanitarian assistance, and more than 16 million people face acute food insecurity, with some areas on the brink of famine. The war has also caused widespread destruction of infrastructure, health facilities, water and sanitation systems, and education services. The country is also facing outbreaks of diseases, such as cholera, dengue, and COVID-19. The Houthi movement has been accused of obstructing and diverting humanitarian aid, as well as imposing taxes and fees on the population and the private sector.

The Implications of the Houthi Movement

The Houthi movement and the Yemeni civil war have significant implications for the region and the world, as they affect the security, stability, and interests of various actors and stakeholders. The war has created a power vacuum and a breeding ground for terrorist groups, such as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, which have exploited the chaos and the grievances of the people to recruit and operate in Yemen.

The war has also increased the risk of maritime insecurity and environmental disaster, as the Houthis have threatened and attacked ships in the Red Sea, which is a vital route for global trade and oil transportation. Moreover, the war has endangered a decaying oil tanker, known as the Safer, which is moored off the coast of Yemen and contains more than a million barrels of crude oil, which could leak or explode and cause a massive oil spill and fire.

The war has also escalated the regional rivalry and proxy conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which have competing interests and agendas in Yemen and the Middle East. The war has strained the relations and the alliances of the Saudi-led coalition, as some of its members, such as the United Arab Emirates and Sudan, have reduced or withdrawn their involvement in the war, and others, such as Oman and Qatar, have pursued dialogue and mediation with the Houthis.

The war has also drawn the attention and the involvement of other international actors, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, China, and Turkey, which have different positions and roles in the war, ranging from providing military and diplomatic support to the coalition or the Houthis, to offering humanitarian and development assistance to the Yemeni people, to seeking a political solution and a ceasefire to end the war.

The war has also had a profound impact on the lives and the future of the Yemeni people, who have endured unimaginable suffering and hardship for more than six years. The war has killed more than 230,000 people, injured more than 500,000 people, displaced more than 4 million people, and deprived millions of people of their basic rights and needs. The war has also shattered the social fabric and the national identity of Yemen, and deepened the divisions and the grievances among its diverse regions, communities, and groups. The war has also undermined the prospects and the hopes of the Yemeni people for peace, democracy, and development, and left them with a legacy of trauma, violence, and instability.

Conclusion

The Houthi movement is a complex and controversial phenomenon that has shaped and reshaped the history and the politics of Yemen and the region. The Houthis have emerged from a marginalized and oppressed minority to a powerful and influential force that controls most of western Yemen and challenges the regional and international order. The Houthis have also been involved in a brutal and devastating war that has caused immense human suffering and humanitarian crisis, and threatened the security and the interests of various actors and stakeholders.

The Houthis have also been part of a regional and ideological conflict that has pitted them against Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, and Israel, and aligned them with Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, and Hamas. The Houthis have also faced many challenges and obstacles that have tested their resilience and their legitimacy, and exposed their weaknesses and their flaws.

The Houthi movement and the Yemeni civil war are not only a local or a regional issue, but also a global one, that requires a comprehensive and inclusive approach and a concerted and coordinated effort to address and resolve. The Houthi movement and the Yemeni civil war are not only a military or a political problem, but also a humanitarian and a developmental one, that demands a urgent and sustained response and a generous and effective support to alleviate and prevent.

The Houthi movement and the Yemeni civil war are not only a source of despair and destruction, but also an opportunity for dialogue and reconciliation, that offersa chance for peace and development, that inspires a vision and a commitment for a better and a brighter future for Yemen and the region.