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| 2015 Yemen Civil War | |
|---|---|
| Conflict | 2015 Yemen Civil War |
| Partof | Arab Spring aftermath, War on Terror |
| Date | March 2015 – ongoing (major phase 2015–2016) |
| Place | Yemen, Arabian Peninsula |
| Territory | Capture of Sanaa by Houthi movement allies; Aden contested; southern territories fragmented |
| Result | Fragmented control; prolonged humanitarian crisis; rise of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant affiliates |
| Combatant1 | Houthi movement; forces loyal to Ali Abdullah Saleh (until December 2017); elements of General People's Congress |
| Combatant2 | Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi loyalists; Southern Transitional Council (later); Saudi-led coalition |
| Commander1 | Abd al-Malik al-Houthi; Ali Abdullah Saleh (until 2017) |
| Commander2 | Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi; Mohammed bin Salman (political), Salman of Saudi Arabia (state leadership) |
| Casualties | Tens of thousands killed; civilian casualties high; widespread displacement |
2015 Yemen Civil War The 2015 Yemen Civil War erupted after the Houthi movement seized large parts of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, prompting the internationally recognized president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi to flee and a Saudi-led coalition to intervene. The conflict rapidly drew in regional and international actors such as Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Iran, United States, and United Kingdom, and exacerbated pre-existing tensions rooted in the 2011 Yemeni Revolution and the collapse of institutions under Ali Abdullah Saleh. The war produced a complex multi-sided struggle involving the Southern Movement, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, and ISIL affiliates, creating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
The war's roots lie in the aftermath of the 2011 Yemeni Revolution, the political transition under Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, and the failure of the Gulf Cooperation Council-brokered arrangements, which left the General People's Congress factionalized and the Houthi movement politically emboldened. Longstanding tensions between northern Zaydi Shi'a groups represented by the Houthi movement and southern separatists linked to the Southern Movement overlapped with loyalties to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh and rival military commanders from the Republic of Yemen Armed Forces. External rivalries, including rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran, intensified local disputes and shaped alliances around control of strategic ports such as Al Hudaydah and cities such as Aden and Taiz.
Major belligerents included the Houthi movement allied with elements of the General People's Congress and loyalists of Ali Abdullah Saleh until his break with the Houthis in 2017. Opposing forces comprised supporters of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi backed by the Saudi-led coalition—principally Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates—with auxiliary support from the United States in intelligence and United Kingdom-supplied equipment. Non-state actors included Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant-Yemen, and the Southern Transitional Council, each led by local commanders and political figures, while international diplomacy involved actors such as the United Nations and envoys like Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed.
In March 2015 the Houthi movement advanced on Aden, prompting President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi to flee, which led to the launch of the Operation Decisive Storm air campaign by the Saudi-led coalition. Through 2015–2016 major battles occurred around Aden, Al Hudaydah, and the central highlands near Marib, with shifting frontlines as United Arab Emirates-backed southern forces and Houthi-GPC alliances contested control. By late 2016 and 2017, fragmentation increased as former ally Ali Abdullah Saleh split from the Houthis, culminating in Saleh’s death in December 2017 during clashes in Sanaa. Subsequent years saw intermittent offensives, proxy escalations between Iran and Saudi Arabia via local partners, and UN-mediated talks such as negotiations in Geneva and Stockholm producing limited agreements like the Stockholm Agreement (2018) over Al Hudaydah.
The conflict devastated Yemen’s civilian population, triggering widespread displacement, famine-like conditions, and disease outbreaks such as cholera epidemic that overwhelmed health infrastructure in Sanaa and provinces like Taiz and Hajjah. Humanitarian organizations including International Committee of the Red Cross and UNICEF reported millions requiring aid amid blockades affecting ports like Al Hudaydah and airports in Aden. Casualty estimates varied, with tens of thousands killed in fighting and indirect deaths from starvation and lack of medical care, while documented attacks on civilian infrastructure involved actors such as coalition air campaigns and Houthi missile and drone strikes on targets in Riyadh and Jeddah.
Regional powers played central roles: Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates led the coalition backing Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, while the Islamic Republic of Iran was accused of supplying the Houthi movement with material support and political backing, tensions echoed in statements by leaders like Hassan Rouhani. Western states including the United States and United Kingdom provided logistical, intelligence, and arms support, prompting domestic debates and legal challenges in parliaments such as the UK Parliament and the United States Congress. Diplomatic efforts involved the United Nations envoy process and ceasefire attempts, with mediators like Martin Griffiths facilitating talks and the Stockholm Agreement (2018) addressing the humanitarian situation in Al Hudaydah.
Coalition strategy emphasized air superiority through campaigns like Operation Decisive Storm and Operation Restoring Hope, combined with naval blockades and support for anti-Houthi ground forces in Aden and the south. The Houthis deployed asymmetric tactics including ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles targeting Saudi Arabia and coalition assets, while groups like Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula exploited security vacuums to seize territory in Shabwah and Abyan. Key battles included the Battle of Aden (2015), the Al Hudaydah offensive (2018), and protracted fighting for Taiz and Marib, which served as strategic gateways and resource hubs.
The immediate aftermath left Yemen territorially fragmented among Houthi authorities in the north, UAE-backed southern forces and the Southern Transitional Council in the south, and remnants of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi’s administration, complicating peace prospects. International efforts shifted toward negotiations and reconstruction talks involving stakeholders such as the United Nations and donor states, while the security vacuum fostered resilience of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and the expansion of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant affiliates. The conflict’s legacy influenced regional diplomacy, arms export scrutiny in the European Union and legislative actions in the United States Congress, and ongoing debates over accountability in forums like the International Criminal Court.