Experts predict emergence of political challenges in Yemen in 2022

While Yemen witnessed military escalation, adding extra challenges to humanitarian crises in 2021, analysts predict that the war-torn country may face a political challenge in 2022, reports Anadolu Agency.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Ali al-Dahab, a Yemeni researcher and military affairs analyst, predicted that his country will witness more military operations in 2022 causing more complications to the current situation.

He said that military operations may “stop at the borders between the northern and southern governorates, generating a new conflict between the northern and southern parts of the country”.

“This may push the local warring actors to re-shape their alliances according to the new facts on the ground”, he said.

He said that in the new situation the legitimate government in Yemen may seek lesser dependence on the Saudi Arabia-led coalition and may rethink to focus on seeking a local solution.

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Predicting the emergence of a political challenge in 2022, Dahab said the existence of any political vacuum inside the internationally recognised government will further complicate the seven-year-old war in Yemen.

“A shift in the international positions towards the conflict in Yemen may occur during the year 2022, including the amendment of UN Security Council Resolution 2216, or issuing a new resolution,” he said.

According to a UNICEF report released in December last year, protracted armed conflict has left 70% of the population in Yemen, including 11.3 million children, in need of humanitarian assistance.

The report further said that the situation has severely impacted the health and nutrition of children, with 2.3 million children acutely malnourished and another 400,000 moderately malnourished.