The marked reluctance shown by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels to engage with Saudi Arabia’s bold initiative to end Yemen’s civil war has demonstrated beyond doubt which side is the true protagonist in this country’s long-running conflict.
Ever since the Saudi-led coalition launched the military campaign in support of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, the country’s internationally recognised leader, it has been Riyadh, and not the Houthis, which has attracted the lion’s share of the criticism for Yemen’s dire plight.
Aid agencies and human rights organisations have regularly accused the Saudis of causing the humanitarian disaster that now affects large swathes of the country, when in fact it is the Houthis, and their consistent refusal to engage with the UN-sponsored peace process, who are the real villains of the piece. Now, thanks to a Saudi-initiated peace plan announced earlier this week, the wider world is finally coming to understand this.
The Saudi plan includes delivering aid to Yemen's people and calling for a nationwide cease-fire supervised by the UN, as well as the reopening of Sanaa's airport and new talks to reach a political resolution to the conflict. In addition, restrictions on the Red Sea port of Hodeidah would be eased, allowing access for ships and cargo. Four ships have already passed through as a result of the initiative Income from the port, including taxes, would go to the central bank in Hodeidah in accordance with the earlier Stockholm agreement.
Announcing the plan, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan called on the Houthis to join the initiative. “We want the guns to fall completely silent,” Prince Faisal said. “However, the time frame is up to the Houthis now. We are ready to go to them. But they have to decide. Will they put the interests of Yemen first or the interests of Iran?”
The Saudi initiative has already won the full support of both the US and UN. In Washington, a State Department spokesman said the US welcomed “the commitment of Saudi Arabia and the internationally recognised government of Yemen to a new cease-fire plan”. And in a telephone call with Prince Faisal, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he supported efforts to “end the conflict in Yemen, starting with the need for all parties to commit to a cease-fire and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid.”
Certainly, given the sheer scale of the humanitarian disaster sweeping the country, there has never been a greater need for a peaceful resolution of the Yemeni conflict. According to the latest figures compiled by aid organisations, the fighting, which began six years ago today has so far claimed 100,000 lives, while it is estimated that 4 million people have been displaced by the conflict during the past 7 years and around 80 per cent of the population are in need of some form of aid.
Yet, rather than trying to pursue diplomacy, recent evidence shows that the Houthis have only intensified their military campaign to extend their influence over the country, while at the same time continuing their attacks against targets in neighbouring Saudi Arabia.
As a result, the number of conflict frontlines in Yemen has increased from 33 in 2019 to 49 today, with the Houthis recently concentrating their efforts on trying to take control of the gas-rich Marib governorate, 170 kilometres east of the capital Sanaa. In some of the fiercest fighting witnessed in Yemen since 2018, hundreds are reported to have been killed.
There has never been a greater need for a peaceful resolution
The insistence of the Houthis and their Iranian backers on initiating a new offensive at a time when their are renewed diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have been greeted with dismay in Washington, where President Joe Biden, in one of his first acts after entering the White House in January, revoked the Houthis’ designation as a terrorist organisation in an attempt to win their backing for peace talks.
Instead, the Houthis have so far rejected the Saudi initiative, with Houthi chief negotiator Mohammed Abdulsalam declaring there was “nothing new” in the proposal.
Houthi intransigence over the new diplomatic effort has led to Tim Lenderking, the US Special Envoy for Yemen, to accuse the group of giving priority to a military campaign to take Marib over “suspending the war and moving relief to the Yemeni people”.
“Tragically, and somewhat confusingly for me, it appears that the Houthis are prioritising a military campaign” in Marib, Mr Lenderking remarked in an online forum.
A report issued by Human Rights Watch earlier this week claimed that Houthi forces had indiscriminately fired artillery and missiles into heavily populated areas located in the Marib governorate since February. Many of those affected by the Houthi attacks are the thousands of displaced Yemenis who are being housed in camps in the region.
Despite the upsurge in Houthi-inspired violence, Houthi officials say they will continue to participate in talks with Saudi officials, mediated by the government of Oman, to arrange a ceasefire. But such an outcome is unlikely as long as the Houthis maintain their preference for military action over diplomatic engagement.
Con Coughlin is a defence and foreign affairs columnist for The National
How much of your income do you need to save?
The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.
In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)
Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.
THE BIO
Ms Davison came to Dubai from Kerala after her marriage in 1996 when she was 21-years-old
Since 2001, Ms Davison has worked at many affordable schools such as Our Own English High School in Sharjah, and The Apple International School and Amled School in Dubai
Favourite Book: The Alchemist
Favourite quote: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail
Favourite place to Travel to: Vienna
Favourite cuisine: Italian food
Favourite Movie : Scent of a Woman
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
SPECS%3A%20Polestar%203
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Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
Personalities on the Plate: The Lives and Minds of Animals We Eat
Barbara J King, University of Chicago Press
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FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Specs
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WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Infiniti QX80 specs
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Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
UAE SQUAD
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Mohamed Usman (vice captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Imran Haider, Tahir Mughal, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed, Fahad Nawaz, Abdul Shakoor, Sultan Ahmed, CP Rizwan
City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final:
First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2
Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The story in numbers
18
This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens
450,000
More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps
1.5 million
There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m
73
The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association
18,000
The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme
77,400
The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study
4,926
This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee
Series information
Pakistan v Dubai
First Test, Dubai International Stadium
Sun Oct 6 to Thu Oct 11
Second Test, Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tue Oct 16 to Sat Oct 20
Play starts at 10am each day
Teams
Pakistan
1 Mohammed Hafeez, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Asad Shafiq, 5 Haris Sohail, 6 Babar Azam, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed, 8 Bilal Asif, 9 Yasir Shah, 10, Mohammed Abbas, 11 Wahab Riaz or Mir Hamza
Australia
1 Usman Khawaja, 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Shaun Marsh, 4 Mitchell Marsh, 5 Travis Head, 6 Marnus Labuschagne, 7 Tim Paine, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Peter Siddle, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Jon Holland
More from our neighbourhood series:
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
