Yemen’s crisis and civil war still echo across the region after a decade

Ellee Low | Al-Arabiya

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For more than a decade, Yemen has been known to the world as the epicentre of one of the worst humanitarian crises in modern history. Though the war ended over 10 years ago, the Yemenis continue to struggle to recover from the crisis and it is also one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to climate change.

Now, the country is approaching a new battleground that will shape the Middle East: the war of rebuilding.

Long-term effects of the crisis in Yemen will heavily affect the health and nutrition of the population, with climate change being responsible for more than 121,000 deaths by 2060.

People of Yemen are currently at risk of a large-scale famine, violence, collapsing services and protracted displacement as well as natural disasters like drought and flooding, which are key drivers of displacement.

Although ongoing humanitarian assistance is provided to the country after the war, more than 17.1 million Yemenis still suffer from extreme levels of acute food insecurity, including five million who are on the edge of famine.

The nation also faces a dreadful water crisis, relying heavily on rainwater to sustain its groundwater and surface water sources. Yemen’s per capita water availability ranks the lowest in the Arab world.

Yemen faces the most complex and expensive reconstruction challenge of the 21st century, a crisis that has hollowed out health facilities and schools, fractured political authority which governs under multiple authorities and devastated human capital, resulting in economic and employment loss, malnutrition and the downfall of the education system.

Unlike some post-conflict countries like Iraq, Yemen begins its recovery with significantly fewer functioning state structures and almost no fiscal buffer.

The country is not just recovering from war. It is recovering from state collapse.

The cost of rebuilding Yemen is already estimated in the hundreds of billions, far exceeding the country’s GDP many times over. Entire cities such as Taiz, Saada and parts of Aden bear the scars of continuous bombardment and urban warfare. Water systems are shattered, cholera outbreaks continue to resurface, and more than half of Yemen’s health facilities are damaged or destroyed.

Although countries like Jordan have provided direct humanitarian and logistical aid through the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation (JHCO) and its armed forces to provide necessary immediate relief, Yemen is still entrapped in a prolonged political, humanitarian and development crisis.

Additionally, Afghanistan, also an underdeveloped country, says: “Right now, Afghanistan only has solutions to help Yemen in combating water scarcity, as that is one of the main focuses of Afghanistan right now. Yemen’s food insecurity and famine have not been looked into yet as it is not our current focus.”

Saudi Arabia has provided billions in aid, fuel support and budgetary assistance aimed at stabilising the Yemeni rial and keeping public institutions functioning. Through the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen, it has contributed to rebuilding energy systems, healthcare facilities, roads and water infrastructure.

The UAE has pursued similar initiatives, rehabilitating ports and power stations in cities such as Aden, Mukalla and Mocha, while continuing to deliver large-scale food and medical assistance.

If sustained, this regional support could shape a remarkably different future for Yemen. A post-war Yemen with robust Middle Eastern backing could see its shattered infrastructure gradually restored, its water systems modernised to withstand climate pressures, and its schools and hospitals rebuilt to serve a new generation.

Perhaps the greatest challenge is that reconstruction must begin before the conflict is formally resolved. Yemen remains divided between multiple authorities like the Houthis in the north, the internationally recognised government, the Southern Transitional Council, local tribes and armed groups operating autonomously.

Yemen’s civil war may have faded from the front pages, but the struggle for recovery has only begun. Its future now depends on whether the region commits not only to stabilising Yemen today, but to helping rebuild its foundations for tomorrow.

With sustained Middle Eastern support and not just humanitarian relief but strategic investment, Yemen can still break free from the cycle of collapse and step onto a path of restoration, resilience and lasting stability.

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