Yemen must find a solution

Repeated calls by humanitarian relief agencies for immediate action to help the thousands of stranded Yemeni civilians in the war-torn north of Yemen have apparently fallen on deaf ears. The humanitarian crisis in Yemen caused by the war between the government and Al Houthi rebels is 'deepening' according to Oxfam and allocated aid for refugees is 'diminishing' according to the UNHCR. Adding insult to injury, the Saudi government closed its borders in the face of relief agencies as well as refugees seeking a way out of their misery.

It is a dim picture that requires action to avoid a humanitarian calamity. More than 150,000 people have left their homes to seek shelter from bombs and clashes. Yet they appear as if they don't exist for the international community and there is a possibility that it may be too late to save many of them. If nothing is done fast, this humanitarian disaster will remain a scar on the face of Western governments that often boast about their humanitarian involvement around the world.

Apart from the urgent need to save those innocent lives however, there also needs to be an open and transparent discussion to answer crucial questions about this ongoing war. How has this poor Arab country found itself in such a mess? What is the political context of those developments? What is the long-term solution for those wars? Without answering such questions, it is not possible to find a remedy even if all the necessary humanitarian aid comes on time. If a long-term solution is not found, it will only be a matter of months or years before the clashes result in more bloodshed and misery.

The Yemeni government is unfortunately yet to understand that resolving inner problems and issues cannot be done through violence because violence is a recipe for a domino effect that could only lead to more destruction. The fact that the current war is the last in a series of six wars that have all failed to quell the rebellion is an indication that perhaps other strategies should be applied to end the problem once and for all.

It may be viewed as a naïve proposal, but I think that social justice, equality, tolerance, democracy, social and economic development should have been given priority over the use of force.

If we zoom out a little, we can see that most of the problems in Yemen are caused by economic or social defects. This means that there needs to be a change in the way the government is running the country. It must start rearranging its priorities so as to be able to resolve problems - whether in the south, the north, or in any other region.

The inability of the army to quell the rebellion when it first started in 2004 suggests that there are defects in the way the army and the government as a whole are operating. Without admitting those problems, the government would never be able to resolve them.

Among the most commonly mentioned factors is corruption in military circles. There have been reports of military officials selling arms to rebels and striking deals with them for certain 'favours'.

Al Houthi rebel leaders have been open about this while the government has been mostly tight-lipped about it. A chronic problem with the Yemeni government is its inability to be critical of itself. This is a major flaw in any government as without admitting serious flaws, one cannot fix them. This is a major challenge that the government must start to tackle.

Power struggles within the government are on display for all to see. There are often contradictory statements by the government. For example, a decision to suddenly suspend military operations was made recently, but was then followed by implicit criticism by powerful military figures who said there appeared to be some powerful individuals who didn't want the war to end.

Furthermore, there are some reformists within the ruling party that objected to the military causing civilian deaths and called for an immediate investigation into the issue. Loyalists have also pulled out of alliances with the government due to what they perceived as reckless strikes against civilians. All in all, there appears to be no unified leadership and inner conflicts make things more difficult. Although they may be part of any war, attacks that mistakenly cause civilian casualties further alienate parts of the population.

Finally, there is international involvement in the struggle, which is often portrayed as a sectarian proxy war. These foreign countries may not necessarily provide arms or money, but may have an influence through media propaganda, moral support and other means that could result in far-reaching consequences beyond Yemen's borders.

Misleading and false information about the conflict is disseminated through the internet and even respected TV channels.

However, as international players appear to be part of the problem, they may as well be part of a lasting solution. They can do this by avoiding incitement and helping to provide humanitarian relief. Mediation to end the conflict is also a possibility.

In conclusion, the situation in Yemen will not be resolved unless there is reform within the government, the establishment of the rule of law, social justice and the positive involvement of international players.

Walid Al Saqaf is the administrator of YemenPortal.net and a Phd candidate at Örebro University in Sweden.