“Yemeni separatists have taken effective control of the port city of Aden after days of fighting with troops loyal to the internationally backed government.
Forces aligned with the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) - which wants an independent south - said they had seized control of military camps and the presidential palace.”—BBC
“President Trump vetoed a series of bipartisan measures on Wednesday that would have blocked the sale of billions of dollars of arms to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Lawmakers from both parties sent an angry joint message to Mr. Trump last month, saying that he could not go around Congress in his bid to help Persian Gulf allies prosecute their war in Yemen.
But in a veto message, Mr. Trump said blocking the arms sales ‘would weaken America’s global competitiveness and damage the important relationships we share with our allies and partners.’”—NY Times
“The Emiratis are withdrawing their forces at a scale and speed that all but rules out further ground advances, a belated recognition that a grinding war that has killed thousands of civilians and turned Yemen into a humanitarian disaster is no longer winnable.”—NY Times
“A bipartisan pair of senators are looking to force a vote on all aspects of U.S. security assistance to Saudi Arabia, the latest in a string of actions from lawmakers increasingly fed up with the Drumpf administration’s support for Riyadh.”—The Hill
“Outside Yemen, Eid means presents, treats, and sweets. But for thousands of Yemenis, they only dream of a decent meal.” — Al Jazeera
New footage appears showing Houthis seizing 20 positions in Saudi Arabia. Yemeni Journalist Afrah Nasser speaks with Al Jazeera English on what this all means:
“Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and some political appointees in the State Department are pushing for the administration to invoke an emergency provision that would allow President Trump to prevent Congress from halting the sales, worth about $7 billion. The transactions, which include precision-guided munitions and combat aircraft, would infuriate lawmakers in both parties.” — NY Times
“Houthi rebels in Yemen say they have begun a withdrawal from three key strategic ports that serve as a vital lifeline for food and humanitarian aid into the war-torn country. If seen through, the withdrawal from the Red Sea port of Hudaydah, a key gateway for humanitarian aid into Yemen, as well as the ports of Ras Isa and Salif, would represent the first practical step by forces on the ground to implement an internationally-backed ceasefire agreed to in December.” — NPR
A Conversation with Afrah Nasser, Stacey Philbrick Yadav, and Adam Hanieh on The Dig Podcast
UN report find that by the end of 2019, the war on Yemen would have claimed:
“Ongoing conflict in Yemen has already reversed human development by 21 years, according to a UNDP-commissioned study released today. The study warns of exponentially growing impacts of conflict on human development. It projects that if the war ends in 2022, development gains will have been set back by 26 years — almost a generation. If it continues through 2030, that setback will increase to four decades.” —United Nations Development Programme
“The House on Thursday gave final passage to a bipartisan resolution forcing an end to United States military involvement in Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen, sending President Trump a pointed rebuke over his continued defense of the kingdom after the killing of a dissident journalist, Jamal Khashoggi.
The 247-to-176 vote, with 16 Republicans joining all House Democrats, invoked the rarely used War Powers Act to curb the president’s executive power to wage war without congressional approval. It most likely sets up the second veto of Mr. Trump’s presidency, this time to publicly defend a four-year conflict that the United Nations has deemed the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with thousands of civilians killed and millions suffering from famine.” — NY Times
“The Senate on Wednesday again rebuked President Trump for his continued defense of Saudi Arabia after the killing of the dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, voting for a second time to end American military assistance for the kingdom’s war in Yemen and to curtail presidential war powers.
The 54-to-46 vote, condemning a nearly four-year conflict in Yemen that has killed thousands of civilians and inflicted a devastating famine, sets the foundation for what could become Mr. Trump’s first presidential veto, with the House expected to overwhelmingly pass the measure, possibly this month.” — NY Times
Hundreds of Yemenis marched through Socotra’s capital to protest against UAE forces taking control of Socotra island. Four Emirati military aircrafts carrying armored vehicles and more than 50 soldiers have already arrived on the island. Once deployed, the UAE force seized control of the Socotra airport and port.— Middle East Monitor
“A British-manufactured cluster bomb has been found in a Yemeni village, all but confirming the banned weapons are being used by Saudi-led coalition forces in the Yemeni civil war.
Amnesty International discovered the unexploded munition during an inspection of a village in northern Yemen. The weapon… contains 147 ‘bomblets’ which scatter across a wide area, but often do not detonate until they are disturbed at later date, often by unsuspecting civilians picking them up.” — The Independent