Bordering with oil-rich Arab nations, sitting at the strait, linking the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, through which world’s oil shipments pass, yet from seven years, Yemen continues to bleed from the murky actions of Saudi-led coalition along with pro-president Hadi forces against Zaidi Shia Houthis, backed by Shia-Iran where each camp, at the expense of Yemenis people, trying to establish their will.

Yemen is in flames, where 60000 civilian and combatants are killed. Yemen carried and continues to carry the tiny coffins of 85000 thousand children, who died because of malnutrition in the war-torn country. War in Yemen has displaced some 2.3 million people from their homes and almost 22 million people exposed to food insecurity, causing world’s largest cholera, to which UN termed as century’s worst man-made crisis. The disturbing picture of Yemen presents no immediate prospects for ending the unending war as in recent past, Houthis fired ballistic missiles at Saudi’s oil refineries, which later intercepted and shot down, ending any possibility of the negotiated-settlement of the Yemen crisis, which has to end.

The sufferings of the Yemeni people are not new as before the unification of the North and South Yemen in 1990, people experienced disastrous political turmoil and three decades of authoritarian rule of Ali Abdullah Saleh, who handed over the reins of the government as per deal after the Arab Spring to his deputy Abdrabuh Mansoor Hadi in 2011, who also proved to be incompetent and corrupt, being failed in uniting the factions, leading to the civil war, which has been transformed into the nightmare scenario of unending war, that hurts Yemen socially, politically and economically very badly and very effectively.

Yemen conflict is the quagmire, where warring parties ranges from the Saudi-led coalition that includes local forces, UAE, France, UK and all mighty USA, who provide support Saudi-led coalition militarily and logistically. Whereas, at front are Houthis, who are also equally responsible for Yemeni people pain, are armed up by Iran, who wants Shia-led government in Sana’a after her successful adventures in Bagdad, Beirut and more recently in Damascus.

However, there is also widespread presence of the IS and Al Qaeda remnants, who work on their own favored agenda to be implemented, pushing the conflict to an unending war, getting no serious thought to the miseries of Yemenis at regional and international level as each wants their interest to prevail.

Earlier the dramatic murder of journalist Jamal Kashoggi, which also cannot be justified, in Saudi-consulate in Turkey made headlines for months at international arena, whereas miseries of the millions of Yemeni people for years could not draw the attention and action required from the international community. As it is all about defense deals or regional hegemony. Who cares about the displaced, starved, wounded and dead Yemenis.

All the belligerent parties must be pressurized to lay down arms, engage in cease fire and open the doors of dialogue seems viable and realistic approach to the unending war to end. But the million dollar question remains that who will bring all the parties to the table? Either from the platform of the toothless UN or fractured OIC? If these organizations were so effective, the conditions could not have worsened at that length. These organizations may contribute for the settlement of the issue but unless United States play its role, things are unlikely to change in immediate future.

The megalomaniac Trump can do that, if he announces that shut down of the US government may long for months or even years over the demand of the five billion dollars for the construction of Mexican wall; direct talks with Afghan Taliban, meeting with Kim Young-Un, shifting Embassy from Tel aviv to Jerusalem, scraping Iran nuclear deal, trade war with China, mocking Modi over Afghan funding, NATO members over GDP spending on their defense share and finally pulling out US forces from Syria shocked none, more than the Secretary Defense, Jamis Mattis, who opted to resign like his predecessors.

One more unexpected move like others from Trump will end the unending Yemen war.

AAMIR KHAN WAGAN,

Larkana, December 8.