ON the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, a cruel, brutal war has been grinding on since last March. In this conflict, the impoverished state of Yemen — already reeling from civil war and poverty — has been pounded by its powerful and very wealthy northern neighbour, Saudi Arabia. The Saudis launched the war on behalf of their ally, Yemeni President Hadi, whose forces have squared off against rebels comprised of the Houthi militia and factions loyal to former president Saleh. Yet amongst the several tragedies associated with the Yemeni conflict, the biggest has been the indiscriminate slaughter of civilians. Last week a school and an MSF-linked hospital were bombed by the Saudi-led coalition, killing a number of people. This is reportedly the fourth MSF facility that has been hit, while the coalition has been censured by various quarters for its trigger-happy tactics. As per the UN, 3,700 civilians have been killed since the war began; the world body says the coalition is responsible for most of these deaths.

At this point, the possibilities of a peaceful solution appear remote. Peace talks between the rebels and the government have stalled and the Saudis are in a quandary about how to exit with their pride and image intact, without having defeated the Houthis. Both the coalition and the rebels have dug in for a long war, which means only trouble for Yemen’s hapless people. In an ideal world, the Saudis and their international allies — including the Americans, whose involvement in the conflict in a supporting role has been described as crucial — would be told to hold their fire by the UN. But in a world governed by the Machiavellian codes of geopolitics and self-interest, this appears unlikely to happen. However, if states such as the US and UK, which swear by democratic values, were to suspend their support for the Saudi war, perhaps Riyadh might be forced to pull back and stop the aggression. In the meantime, the people of Yemen continue to pay with their lives.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2016