Humanitarian challenges and the targeting of civilian infrastructure in the Yemen war

• DOI: 10.1093/ia/iiaa166
• Publication Date: 2021-01-14T03:51:59Z
• Authors: Jeannie Sowers; Erika Weinthal
• Keywords: Humanitarian Aid; Militarization

Abstract Many modern conflicts, from Iraq to Yemen, have emerged as brutal wars in which state and non-state actors directly indirectly target a wide array of civilian infrastructures, including water, energy food systems. Similar many twentieth-century wars, common feature the Middle East North Africa twenty-first century has been ‘civilianization’ war, casualties far outnumbered battlefield deaths. We explore targeting infrastructures Yemeni war (2011–2019) explicate connections between conflict, hunger disease. draw upon interviews with UN humanitarian organizations, an original database tracking infrastructure destruction, variety print sources document extent spatial distribution energy, agricultural health systems Yemen. elucidate how conduct undermined human security livelihoods created ethical, logistical organizational challenges for organizations advancing peacebuilding efforts. find that after 2011 popular uprising, some targeted sector; however, scope intensity wartime objects, particularly those associated agriculture, fisheries health, increased significantly once Saudi-led coalition entered 2015. Loss livelihoods, internal displacement, currency depreciation, blockades sieges further intensified spread The hinders efforts restore basic services, rebuild strengthen governance mechanisms.