The regional coalition fighting Al Houthis and their allies in Yemen needs as much support as it can get. The UAE has sustained exceptional losses in the fight to contain extremism and it is only one of several nations involved in the struggle that has now started to regain the initiative in the war. The strong defence of Aden and subsequent recapture of large parts of the city’s surrounding territory was a vital moment in the fighting when Al Houthis’ momentum was reversed.
The coalition members have been preparing for a second front by building up their forces in Marib province, from where they hope to advance to the capital Sana’a. This is where the UAE suffered its recent grievous losses, but the war goes on and it is important that the sacrifices made are not wasted. This is why the UAE, Saudi and Bahraini forces and their allies are active in preparing for the advance to retake Sana’a and it is important that they have been joined in force by their Qatari allies from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
However, the international community can do a lot more to support this fight and the Americans and other friends of the GCC should be ready to help contain the menace of extremism and restore legitimate government to Yemen. They should not be putting troops on the ground, but they can certainly help with surveillance, logistics and out-of-battlefield support. Many international forces have worked closely with the Gulf armed forces and they have held regular joint exercises so there should be no practical impediment to the international community supporting the Gulf-led coalition.
Yemen has suffered from minimal governance for far too long and the incoming forces of the coalition need to be ready to restore basic services as an initial step towards helping the government to relaunch itself on Yemeni soil. As soon as possible, the coalition should create the conditions for a political solution that will bring peace to the troubled country.
