UNITED NATION SECURITY COUNCIL’S CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS YEMEN

CIVIL WAR

I PUTU ARYA PANDU SAKA RAI

2017200231

PARAHYANGAN CHATHOLIC UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF LAW

2020
 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background

The 2011 notorious rebellion that happened in Yemen in the midst of the
region-wide uprising forced the President Ali Abdullah Saleh out of power
after 33 years of rile, against accusations for corruption and failed
governance, and the backdrop of an unresolved, long-standing conflict with
the Houthis, and armed group based in the north of the country. 1

Ali Abdullah Saleh was replaced by his deputy, Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi,
setting up the stage for the National Dialogue Conference, a transitional
national consultation process that tried to address the issues of state
governance, structure and reform and addressing the grievances raised
during the protest. After two years of consultation, the National Dialogue
Conference presented a blueprint for a new federal map that partitioned
Yemen into regions without considering socio-economic or regional criticism
regarding the division of natural resources, commercial and agricultural
regions, or port access. The map received least popular support and was
staunchly opposed by different faction, including the Houthis.

The Houthis then capitalized on popular discontent and consolidated their

control over the governance of Sa’da and nearby areas in the northern parts
of Yemen. Afterwards, the Houthis managed to extend their power, taking
over a number of army and security positions in the capital Sana’a, this was
facilitated to a certain extent by the newly forged alliance of convenience with
former President Saleh. On the ongoing Houthi’s takeover of Sana’a in early
2015, President Hadi and the members of his government were forced to flee.
While the notorious rebellion happened, there has been an excessive civilian
causalities due numerous reasons. Especially when a precision-guided
munition hit an unarmed civilian house in Yemen, killing six people including
three children that was made by US company Raytheon, a 230kg GBU-
Paveway II2. After a numerous international law violations, the United Nation
and its organs, tried to mitigate the heat of the conflict in Yemen, especially
the United Nation Security Council, establishing solutions that are mainly to
support the restoration of Yemen’s government.

The Author believes that this topic should be discussed due to numerous
violations of international laws, and to observe how the international
community responds, especially the United Nation Security Council towards
conflict that is happening in Yemen.

1
YEMEN WAR: NO END IN SIGHT. (2019, March 14). Retrieved March 3, 2020, from
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2015/09/yemen-the-forgotten-war/
2
Al Jazeera. (2019, September 26). US-made bomb used in deadly Saudi-led air raid in Yemen. Retrieved
March 3, 2020, from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/09/bomb-deadly-saudi-led-air-strike-yemen-
190925160601125.html
1.1 Research Question
1.1.1 What are the contribution of United Nation Security Council towards Yemen
Civil War
1.1.2 Who is involved in the Conflict?
1.1.3 How do the International community respond towards the conflict

1.2 Aim
1.2.1 Describe the United Nations Security Council contribution towards the conflict
1.2.2 Describe the violated International law(s)
1.2.3 Describe the impact of the Yemen civil war
 CHAPTER II

2 Literature Review
Even since the Houthis expand their territories, the official Yemen’s government
allowed an intervention in order to cease the war between Houthis and
Yemenis. By March 2015, a Coalition of states led by Saudi Arabia and the
United Arab Emirates intervened at the request of President Hadi, with the aim
of restoring the international recognized government to power. The Saudi-led
coalition were to believe in accordance with Article 2 (4) of the United Nation
Charter. However this has been contested by some academics.

This marked the beginning of a full-blown armed conflict as the Coalition

launched an aerial bombing campaign against Houthi forces. Over the following
four years, the conflict widen to engulf the entire country and saw a propagation
in the parties to the conflict, these include a number of Coalition-backed armed
groups. The UAE for instance, has been actively training, funding and arming
different armed groups since mid-to-late 2015, supporting as such the
propagation of unaccountable. The intervention was initially consisted of
bombing campaign on Houthi Rebels and later a naval blockade and the
deployment of ground forces into Yemen. The Coalition has attacked the
position of the Houthi, and loyalist of former President of Yemen, Ali Abdullah
Saleh.

The war has received a widespread criticism and had a dramatic worsening
effect on Yemen’s humanitarian situation, that reached the level of a
humanitarian catastrophe. After the official Yemen’s government allow an
intervention, there has been reported numerous human rights and violation.
Currently over 6000 civilians are killed and almost 10,000 wounded, 394,000
children under the age of five suffered malnutrition, 2.2 million people forced
from their homes by the fighting, and over 22 million people in need of
humanitarian assistance3.

On 28 August 2018, the United Nations Group of Eminent Experts on Yemen

published its first report that concludes that parties who participate in the
coalition may be guilty of war crimes. Their fact finding add to the catalogue of
evidence proving that parties to the Yemen civil war conflict, have act with utter
disregard for civilian lives in the past years. Since 2015, the Saudi-led Coalition
carried out scores of indiscriminate and disproportionate air strike on civilians
and civilians object. Hitting home, schools, hospitals, markets, mosques, and
funerals. Amnesty International documented 41 coalition air strikes that appear
to have violated international humanitarian law, many of which amount to war
crimes that resulted in over 500 civilian deaths and 400 (more or less) civilian
injured4.

3
YEMEN WAR: NO END IN SIGHT. (2019, March 14). Retrieved February 28, 2020, from
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2015/09/yemen-the-forgotten-war/
4
Benenson, P. (2018). Retrieved February 28,2020, from STRANGLEHOLD. COALITION AND HUTHI OBSTACLES
COMPOUND YEMEN’S HUMANITARIAN CRISIS, 4–6.
 The United Nation Security Council have been helping the Yemen conflict since
1967. On 12 December 1967 resolution S/RES/243, the United Nation Security
Council recommended Democratic Yemen (the people’s Republic of Southern
Yemen) for United Nation membership. While the war is still ongoing, the United
Nation Security Council made another resolution to endorse the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) initiative peaceful of transitional power throughout
resolution S/RES/2014. In that resolution, the United Nation Security Council
stated “Strongly condemns the continued human rights violations by the
Yemeni authorities, such as the excessive use of force against peaceful
protestors as well as the acts of violence, use of force, and human rights abuses
perpetrated by other actors, and stresses that all those responsible for violence,
human rights violations and abuses should be held accountable;”5 which means
that the United Nation Security Council have been concerned about the
humanitarian laws that have been violated by parties and took it the violation
as a serious matter.

The United Nation Security Council also encourage for the international
community to help the humanitarian catastrophe that is happening in Yemen
through the S/RES/2014 resolution by encourages the International community
to provide humanitarian assistance to Yemen, and request all parties in Yemen
to facilitate the work of the United Nation agencies and other relevant
organization, and ensure full, safe access for the timely delivery of the
humanitarian aid to persons in need across Yemen6.

3 Research Methods
4 Research Systematic

https://osesgy.unmissions.org/security-council-resolutions
https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/un-documents/yemen/

Open b4 work:
https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/middle-east-and-north-africa/yemen/report-
yemen/
https://documents-dds-
ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G18/252/79/PDF/G1825279.pdf?OpenElement

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2015/09/yemen-the-forgotten-war/

https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/un-documents/yemen/

https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/chronology/yemen.php

5
United Nation Security Council (2014). Retrieved February 29,2020, from S/RES 2014 (2011), 1—2.
6
United Nation Security Council (2014). Retrieved February 29,2020, from S/RES 2014 (2011), 2
https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/un_documents_type/security-council-
resolutions/?ctype=Yemen&cbtype=yemen

https://osesgy.unmissions.org/security-council-resolutions