Global Smackdown (10/1): what’s going on and why it matters

 

 

Kelsey Hanson

Where: Yemen

What: Houthi force activity, Saudi Arabian military involvement, and presidential return 

Why: The influx of refugees is too rapid and too significant for Hungary’s government to handle 

So What: Yemen, a country that, in the midst of an intensifying conflict in the Middle East, has maintained a relatively safe distance from the turmoil of war, experienced three significant events in the span of three days last week.

1. September 20, 2015: Four military contractors, two of whom were American, were released from their Houthi hostage. Houthi is recognized by the United States as a terrorist organization. 

2. September 21, 2015: In retaliation to increasing Houthi activity, the Saudi Army bombed three locations in Sanaa, the capital city. Sanaa is currently being held by Houthi forces. The bombed locations, thought to be Houthi weapons storage facilities, were, in reality, an apartment building and a water bottling plant. The bombing killed up to 50 people. 

3. September 22, 2015: Last March, Yemen’s President, Abedrabbo Hadi, fled to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia as a result of advancing Houthi forces. On September 22, Hadi returned to Aden, a city in southern Yemen.