Houthi takeover in Yemen

Houthi takeover in Yemen
Part of the Yemeni civil war (2014–present)
Date21 September 2014 – 6 February 2015
(4 months, 2 weeks and 2 days)
Location
Sanaa, Yemen
Result

Houthi and Saleh loyalists victory leading to a Saudi led intervention.

Belligerents

Houthis

Yemen Cabinet of Yemen

Commanders and leaders

Abdul-Malik al-Houthi
Mohammed Ali al-Houthi
Saleh Ali al-Sammad

Yemen Ali Abdullah Saleh		 Yemen Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi
Yemen Mohammed Basindawa
Yemen Ahmad Awad bin Mubarak
Yemen Khaled Bahah
Yemen Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar
Part of a series on the
Yemeni crisis
Main topics
Background

The Houthi takeover in Yemen, also known by the Houthis as the September 21 Revolution,[7] or 2014–15 Yemeni coup d'état (by opponents),[8] was a popular revolution against Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi led by the Houthis and their supporters that pushed the Yemeni government from power. It had origins in Houthi-led protests that began the previous month,[9] and escalated when the Houthis stormed the Yemeni capital Sanaa on 21 September 2014,[10] causing the resignation of Prime Minister Mohammed Basindawa, and later the resignation of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi and his ministers on 22 January 2015 after Houthi forces seized the presidential palace, residence, and key military installations, and the formation of a ruling council by Houthi militants on 6 February 2015.[11]

The unrest began on 18 August 2014 as the Houthis, angered over a government-implemented removal of fuel subsidies, called for mass protests.[12] On 21 September, as the Houthis took control of Sanaa, the Yemeni Army did not formally intervene, other than troops affiliated with General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar and the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated Al-Islah Party.[13][14] After gaining control over key government buildings in Sana'a, the Houthis and government signed a UN-brokered deal on 21 September to form a "unity government".[15]

The unrest took a dramatic turn in January 2015, when Houthi fighters seized control of the presidential palace and Hadi's residence in an effort to gain more influence over the government and the drafting of a new constitution.[16][17] On 22 January, Hadi and his government resigned en masse rather than comply with the Houthis' demands.[18] Three weeks later, the Houthis declared parliament to be dissolved and installed a Revolutionary Committee as the interim authority, although they agreed to keep the House of Representatives in place two weeks later as part of a power-sharing agreement.[6][11] The Houthi-led interim authority has been rejected by other internal opposition groups and has not been recognized internationally.

In March 2015, the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen began with airstrikes and a naval blockade to restore Hadi's government to power. The United States and the United Kingdom both support a political solution in Yemen.[19] A 2017 UNICEF report stated that nearly half a million underage children in Yemen were on the verge of starvation, and about seven million people were facing acute food shortages.[20] In 2016, the UN stated that, in Yemen, almost 7.5 million children needed medical care, and 370,000 children were on the verge of starvation.

  1. ^ Mona al-Naggar (25 January 2015). "Shifting Alliances Play Out Behind Closed Doors in Yemen". New York Times. Archived from the original on 13 October 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  2. ^ "Al-Houthis and Al-Qaeda". al-Ahram. 15 January 2015. Archived from the original on 15 September 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference letters was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Yemeni president quits, throwing nation deeper into chaos". Reuters. 22 January 2015. Archived from the original on 1 February 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference takeovergovt was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b "Yemen feuding parties agree on transitional council". Al Jazeera. 20 February 2015. Archived from the original on 17 May 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  7. ^ Saif Saleh Al-Oliby (1 February 2015). "Houthis Start Three Day Conference In Capital". Yemen Observer. Archived from the original on 16 February 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  8. ^ "Yemen rebels announce takeover". BBC News. February 6, 2015. Archived from the original on July 24, 2022. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  9. ^ Mohammed Ghobari (18 August 2014). "Tens of thousands of Yemeni Houthis protest against fuel reform, government". Reuters. Archived from the original on 6 December 2017. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  10. ^ Kasinof, Laura (2015). "How the Houthis Did It". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 30 March 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  11. ^ a b Mona El-naggar (2015). "Shifting Alliances Play Out Behind Closed Doors in Yemen". New York Times. Archived from the original on 11 February 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  12. ^ Baron, Adam (2015). "Yemen's Transitional Road Map to Chaos". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 31 January 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  13. ^ Transfeld, Mareike (2014). "Capturing Sanaa: Why the Houthis Were Successful in Yemen". Muftah. Archived from the original on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  14. ^ "Yemen: Civilian Toll of Fighting in Capital". Human Rights Watch. 2014. Archived from the original on 29 April 2017. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  15. ^ "The Peace and National Partnership Agreement". Saba News Agency. 22 September 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  16. ^ Marie-Christine Heinze (30 January 2015). "The primacy of stability over real change". Qantra. Archived from the original on 6 February 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  17. ^ Schmit, Charles (2015). "Yemen's Ansar Allah: Causes and Effects of Its Pursuit of Power". American Institute of Yemeni Studies. Archived from the original on 27 September 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  18. ^ "Political Unrest in Yemen". C-Span. 2015. Archived from the original on 1 February 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  19. ^ "Люди страдают от голода из-за военных конфликтов — Еврокомиссия". Archived from the original on 2017-10-12. Retrieved 2017-05-06.
  20. ^ "Брифинг официального представителя МИД России М.В.Захаровой, Москва, 3 февраля 2017 года - Разное - Министерство иностранных дел Российской Федерации". Archived from the original on 2017-10-12. Retrieved 2017-05-06.