Developments in March ushered in a degree of cautious optimism for an improvement to the political and humanitarian situation in Yemen. Martin Griffiths assumed the office of the UN Special Envoy to Yemen, and met with President Hadi in Riyadh before travelling to Sana’a to meet with the Houthis and the GPC-Sana’a. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and the UAE deposited $930 million into the 2018 Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan, and the former signed an agreement to deposit $2 billion into the Aden-based Central Bank of Yemen. However, political discussions in Sana’a were overshadowed by the Houthis’ firing of seven ballistic missiles into Saudi Arabia, resulting in the death of one civilian in the capital Riyadh from falling debris, and on the humanitarian front, as the rainy season approaches there are fears not enough has been done to prevent another cholera outbreak.
To read about all the major economic, humanitarian, political, and military developments that took place in Yemen throughout the month, access the full March 2018 issue of the Yemen Trend by clicking on the PDF icon below.