The Enduring Wars In Yemen And Afghanistan: A Tale Of Two Nations' Long-Running Conflicts

The war in Yemen and Afghanistan are two of the longest-running conflicts in recent history. The Yemeni Civil War began in 2014 when Houthi insurgents, with links to Iran, took control of the country's capital, Sanaa. This sparked a series of events that eventually led to a full-blown civil war, with various factions vying for power. The conflict has resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis, with millions displaced and in need of aid.

On the other hand, the War in Afghanistan was an armed conflict that lasted from 2001 to 2021. It was sparked by the September 11 attacks and saw an international military coalition, led by the United States, invade Afghanistan to topple the Taliban-ruled Islamic Emirate. The Taliban regrouped and launched a widespread insurgency, leading to a prolonged war. The conflict resulted in significant casualties and displacement, with efforts to rebuild the country hampered by various factors.

The US War in Afghanistan is the country's longest war, lasting 20 years

The US War in Afghanistan was America's longest war, lasting 20 years. The war was a response to the September 11 attacks, and began when an international military coalition led by the US invaded Afghanistan, declaring Operation Enduring Freedom as part of the war on terror. The conflict was the longest in the US military's history, surpassing the Vietnam War by approximately six months.

The war was an armed conflict between the US-led coalition and the Taliban, with the coalition expelling the Taliban from power and establishing the Islamic Republic. The Taliban regrouped and began an insurgency against the new government, leading to a protracted war. The conflict resulted in the deaths of an estimated 176,000-212,000+ people, including 46,319 civilians. The war also caused millions of Afghans to become refugees, with 2.6 million remaining refugees as of 2021.

The US-led coalition struggled to defeat the Taliban, with the conflict devolving into a stalemate. The Taliban continued to control large swathes of the country, and the US was unable to broker a peace deal. The war also caused a humanitarian crisis, with millions of Afghans facing food insecurity and a lack of access to healthcare and other basic services.

The war ended in 2021 with the Taliban retaking control of Afghanistan. The US and its allies evacuated their citizens and Afghan allies, with the last US troops leaving the country in August 2021. The war cost the US $2.313 trillion and resulted in the deaths of 2,461 US personnel.

The war in Afghanistan ended in August 2021 with the Taliban takeover of the country

The war began in 2001 when an international military coalition led by the US invaded Afghanistan, declaring Operation Enduring Freedom as part of the war on terror. The invasion was a direct response to the September 11 attacks, with the coalition aiming to expel the Taliban and al-Qaeda from the country. The Taliban and its allies were expelled from major population centres, but Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda leader, relocated to neighbouring Pakistan.

The US-led coalition remained in Afghanistan, forming a security mission to create a new democratic authority in the country. A new Afghan Interim Administration was established, and international rebuilding efforts were launched. However, by 2003, the Taliban had reorganised and began a widespread insurgency against the new Afghan government and coalition forces.

In 2020, after more than a year of direct negotiations, the US government and the Taliban signed a peace deal, the Doha Agreement, which set a timeline for the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. In April 2021, US President Joe Biden announced that US military forces would leave Afghanistan by September 2021. The Taliban intensified their offensive, threatening government-controlled urban areas and seizing border crossings.

In August 2021, the Taliban began direct assaults on multiple urban areas, including Kandahar and Herat. On 6 August, they captured the first provincial capital, Zaranj. Within days, they swept across the country, capturing capital after capital. On 15 August, the Taliban entered the capital, Kabul, and President Ashraf Ghani fled the country. The Taliban declared victory, and the war was formally brought to a close. By 30 August, the last American military aircraft had departed from Afghanistan, ending the US-led military presence in the country.

The war in Yemen is ongoing and has been since 2014

Beginning in March 2015, a coalition of Gulf states led by Saudi Arabia launched a campaign of economic isolation and airstrikes against the Houthi insurgents, with US logistical and intelligence support. The intervention of regional powers also drew Yemen into a regional proxy struggle along the broader Sunni-Shia divide.

The conflict has resulted in a severe humanitarian crisis, with millions of people displaced and lacking access to basic healthcare, clean water, and sanitation. The UN estimates that the war has directly caused the deaths of over 3,000 children as of December 2020, and indirect causes such as lack of food, health, and infrastructure have led to additional deaths. The UN estimates that at the end of 2021, 70% of all casualties of the war were children under five.

Efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution have been made in recent years, including a two-month nationwide truce brokered by the UN in April 2022. However, the road to peace remains challenging due to ongoing clashes, political divisions, and regional rivalries.

The Yemeni Civil War is a multilateral conflict, primarily between the Rashad al-Alimi-led Presidential Leadership Council and the Mahdi al-Mashat-led Supreme Political Council

The war in Yemen and Afghanistan has been ongoing for several years, causing internal displacement, severe humanitarian crises, and loss of lives.

Yemen

The Yemeni Civil War, which began in 2014, is an ongoing multilateral conflict primarily between the Rashad al-Alimi-led Presidential Leadership Council and the Mahdi al-Mashat-led Supreme Political Council, along with their supporters and allies. Both parties claim to constitute the official government of Yemen. The war began when Houthi forces took over the capital city of Sanaa, followed by a rapid Houthi takeover of the government. This led to the declaration of a general mobilization by the Houthi-led Supreme Revolutionary Committee to overthrow the then-president, Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, and expand their control into southern provinces.

Rashad al-Alimi is the Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council of Yemen and came into office in 2022 after the exiled president, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, ceded power to him. Al-Alimi has been part of the Yemeni government since at least 2001 when he served as Minister of Interior.

Mahdi al-Mashat, on the other hand, is a Yemeni politician, military leader, and Chairman of the Supreme Political Council. He has been acquainted with Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, a leader of the Houthi rebellion and a key figure in the Zaidi movement, since youth. Al-Mashat has held various posts within the Houthi movement, including serving as the director of al-Houthi's office and representing the movement in peace talks with the United Nations.

The conflict in Yemen has resulted in a severe humanitarian crisis, with an estimated two-thirds of the country's population in need of humanitarian assistance and protection services, according to the United Nations. There have been efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution, such as the Stockholm Agreement in 2018, which focused on implementing a ceasefire and addressing humanitarian concerns.

Afghanistan

The War in Afghanistan lasted from 2001 to 2021 and was a response to the September 11 attacks. It involved an international military coalition led by the United States, which invaded Afghanistan and toppled the Taliban-ruled Islamic Emirate. The conflict included various factions, with the US-led coalition supporting the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan against the Taliban, its allies, and militias. The war resulted in millions of Afghans being internally displaced or becoming refugees, and both sides were accused of committing war crimes.

In summary, the Yemeni Civil War is a complex, ongoing conflict primarily between the Rashad al-Alimi-led Presidential Leadership Council and the Mahdi al-Mashat-led Supreme Political Council, with both sides vying for control of the country and its government. The War in Afghanistan, which lasted two decades, resulted in significant displacement and a shift in the country's political landscape.

The war in Yemen has caused a severe humanitarian crisis, with millions of people in need of aid and millions more at risk of famine

Yemen has been in a state of near-continuous armed conflict since the 1970s. The Yemeni crisis began with the 2011-2012 revolution against President Abdullah Saleh, who had led Yemen for 33 years. After Saleh left office in early 2012, the government led by Saleh's former vice president, Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, struggled to unite the fractious political landscape of the country.

In September 2014, the Houthi insurgency transformed into a full-blown civil war as Houthi fighters swept into the capital of Sana'a and forced Hadi to negotiate a "unity government" with other political factions. The Houthis continued to apply pressure on the weakened government until, after his presidential palace and private residence came under attack from the militant group, Hadi resigned along with his ministers in January 2015.

The following month, the Houthis declared themselves in control of the Yemeni government, dissolving Parliament, and installing an interim Revolutionary Committee led by Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a cousin of Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi.

Yemen's political instability has been compounded and partly caused by the severe ecological crisis in the country. The average Yemeni has access to only 140 cubic meters of water per year for all uses, while the Middle Eastern average is 1,000 cubic meters per year. Yemen's groundwater is the main source of water in the country, but the water tables have dropped severely, leaving the country without a viable source of water.

The war in Yemen has displaced more than four million people, of whom nearly 80% are children and women. Millions lack access to basic healthcare, clean water, and sanitation. Five million are said by the U.N. Refugee Agency to be one step away from famine conditions.

The conflict has also taken a heavy toll on Yemeni civilians, making Yemen the world's worst humanitarian crisis. The U.N. estimates that 60% of the estimated 377,000 deaths in Yemen between 2015 and the beginning of 2022 were the result of indirect causes like food insecurity and lack of accessible health services. Two-thirds of the population, or 21.6 million Yemenis, remain in dire need of assistance. Five million are at risk of famine, and a cholera outbreak has affected over one million people.

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