The Middle East: Yemen - Essay Example

The Middle East: Yemen One notable country in the Middle East is the Republic of Yemen, in Western Asia and occupiesthe Southern to Southwestern end of the Arabian Peninsula. To the East, North and West, Yemen borders Oman, Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea respectively. In the Arab world, Yemen is considered one of the poorest countries. Yemen’s population is divided into various tribal groups, with the North, where approximately 85% of all local residents belong to different tribes. Small groups of Ottoman/ Turkish people live here, as do the Veddoid in the urban areas. The majority of the Muslims in Yemen belong to the Sunni sect that adheres to the Shafi’i school, while a sizeable minority follows Zaidiyyah Islam. Domestic Scene Yemen as a country recently has undergone a period of political instability, especially during the “Arab Spring”. This saw the toppling of President Saleh and led to a precarious security situation, with the present government acknowledging that it had lost control of several regions all over the country (Stookey 60). This escalated with over a hundred people killed in a terrorist attack in Sana’a, the capital. This attack was indicative of the political instability that continues to plague the country as they seek to rebuild it after the political upheavals of last year, as well as years of underdevelopment. In many parts of Yemen, fighting and intertribal clashes are common, with air strikes and heavy shelling in the Arhab district resulting in massive displacement of approximately 10,000 people. Fighting between Al Qaida and the government’s security forces has continued in Abyan, South of the capital that has prompted displacement of approximately 10,000 people to Shabwa, Lahi, and Eden. The Al Qaida leader in Yemen, Anwar al-Awlaki was downed in Southern Yemen by a U.S. drone (Stookey 62). Social and political turmoil are on the rise in Yemen following the resignation of President Saleh and most of his government. Before he resigned, President Saleh attempted to placate his people with a twenty five percent increase in military and civil personnel while also reducing taxes by fifty percent, which led to a $3.75 billion budget deficit in 2011 (Stookey 63). Until now, Yemen remains one of the Arab world’s poorest countries, with an average income of around $1,300 per capita, with half of Yemenis living on below $2 a day (Stookey 63). The population of the country has 70% being below the age of twenty-five and half being of working age. The Yemeni government is highly dependent on oil, with seventy percent of revenues and ninety percent of exports reflecting a failure of sectors as such tourism, industry and agriculture to supplement the oil industry. The country has failed to attract foreign investment despite favorable legislation, remaining deeply mired in unemployment that stands at 17%, with half the youth being unemployed (Stookey 67). There is widespread corruption and only 5% of the country’s budget gong towards education, which results in very low literacy rates. Following the Arab Spring, Yemen has faced various economic challenges such as shrinking of the economy by ten percent, inflation of 23%, and a forty percent unemployment rate among its youth. The immediate fiscal problems remain Yemen’s greatest challenge in the short-term. In order to maximize chances of recovery, the government has attempted to improve public financial management, transparency and accountability. Finally, the Madrib pipeline that was destroyed during the revolution is under re-construction, with the government hoping that it will be vital for economic recovery and stability. One of Yemen’s biggest social problems is the presence of Al Qaida. A dramatic prison break freed twenty-three insurgents in 2003 with suspected help from security officials (Brehony 40). After the group had been expelled from Saudi Arabia, it regrouped in Yemen. Another problem is the use of khat, which is an amphetamine that its users claim gives mental sharpness, self-esteem and energy (Brehony 40). However, it has health risks, especially with the chemicals that are used to improve its yield. It also takes up too much acreage that has turned Yemen into a net food importer, with 5 million Yemenis going hungry everyday and two hundred and fifty children succumbing to malnutrition in refugee camps every week. Another social problem is the violation of human rights by security forces, especially in the South (Brehony 44). These abuses created a climate of dread, but also increased alienation and bitterness for those who feel marginalized and exploited for their oil. Over the last few years, Yemenis from the south have been protesting for reinstatement of Southerners dismissed from the army and civil service, as well as higher pensions and a better share of the country’s diminishing wealth, with supplies of oil forecasted to end by 2020. This has led to secessionist calls since the two regions of Yemen were previously separate. Because of its support for Iraq during the gulf war, Saudi Arabia expelled approximately one million Yemenis, which worsened their economic woes. On reunification, the Northerners saw it as an opportunity to grab the South’s resources. Foreign relations Diplomatic and political relations between the U.S. and Yemen began in 1946, with further reinforcement in 1959 after the U.S. established its first resident mission in Taiz (Blashfield33). In 1962, the first nations that recognized the Arab Republic of Yemen included the U.S. The JFK administration announced support for the republic on December 19th of 1962. However, the Israeli-Arab war of 1967 resulted in deterioration of relations between Arab countries Yemen included, and the U.S. In December of 1967, the U.S. officially recognized South Yemen’s independence from Britain. However, its plan to open a resident mission there was discarded due to the political climate prevalent there at the time. Relations were rekindled in 1972, with State Secretary William Rogers visiting Sana’a. Since then, relations continued progressively, and in less than 20 years, the U.S. focused attention on Yemen. Officials from both sides arranged visits from 1979 to 1991, with one significant visit from Vice President Bush in 1987. Under the administration of Bush, relations reached an all time high. President Saleh visited the U.S. in 1990, just a few months prior to the proclamation of unity between south and north. Regional events, however, caused another setback in relations. Confrontations in the 2nd Gulf War put paid to relations, with the Republic of Yemen’s position regarding occupied Kuwait being misinterpreted (Mackintosh-Smith 20). In the following years, Yemen attempted to clarify this position and rebuild its distorted relationship with the U.S. This was resolved in the mid-1990s, with Washington demonstrating favorable intentions towards Yemen. This was evident with the full support given to the Yemeni attempt at unity against the separatist movement of 1994’s summer (Mackintosh-Smith 22). The United States also acknowledged the Republic of Yemen for its democratic inclinations, press freedom, the 1993-1997 parliamentary elections as well as its backing of financial and economic reforms with World Bank and IMF cooperation. The latter part of the 90s saw an intensification of ties between the two, with an increased rate of mutual visits. American Non-governmental and governmental institutions, for example, the national Democratic Institute for International relations and the International Foundation for Election Systems have developed a partnership relation with the government of Yemen to lend support to the country’s democratic experience (Sharp 48). Yemen was selected as the host for the very first International Conference of Emerging democracies, in 1999, with support and patronage from the UN, Holland, Japan, Britain, the U.S. and NDI as a culmination of these efforts. The conference was a demonstration of the emerging democracy in Yemen. In September of the year 2009, the U.S. announced its intention to increase Yemeni aid to around $121 million, in a step that showed a significant cooperation change between the two nations (Sharp 51). Nabil Ali Shaiban, the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation’s Director of Foreign Assistance Coordination unit, said that the two nations had finalized the preparation and review of the framework of assistance by the U.S. This was meant as a prelude to an agreement on aid to be delivered over 2009-2012. The aid from the U.S. would be directed at financial and technical projects aimed at social sectors like wise governance, democracy strengthening, economic development, health and education. Works Cited Blashfield, Jean. Yemen. Oxford: Raintree, 2012. Print. Brehony, Noel. Yemen Divided: The Story of a Failed State in South Arabia. London: Tauris, 2011. Print. Mackintosh-Smith, Tim. Yemen. London: John Murray, 2011. Print. Sharp, Jeremy. Yemen: Background and U. S. Relations. Derby: DIANE Publishing, 2010. Print. Stookey, Robert. Yemen: The Politics of the Yemen Arab Republic. Boulder: Westview P., 2011. Print. Read More