The Young Chronicle: For 4th Graders April 18th, 2015 | Page 4
What’s Happening in Yemen?
The 2014–15 Yemeni coup d'état, is also known as the September 21 Revolution.
Essentially, a group of Houthis, ( Ziadi fighters led by Abdul Malik al-Houthi) have pushed the government of Yemen from
power. Thisrevoution is said to have begun with the resignation of Prime Minister Mohammed Basindawa and with the resignation of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and his ministers on 22 January 2015 after Houthi forces seized the presidential palace, residence, and key military installations. This culminated in the dissolution of parliament and the formation
of a ruling council by Houthi militants, on 6 February 2015.The Houthi-led interim authority has not been recognised internationally, and it has faced widespread domestic opposition.
What Triggered the Unrest?
The Yemeni Government had removed fuel subsidies which had been granted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF),
the international organisation that monitors the economy of each country. This had been done as the average income per
person was pretty low in Yemen and the subsidies were not helping the poor whereas the rich were taking undue advantage of the same. When the subsidies were removed, the Yemeni government did not pay heed to the IMF advice on
how to reduce the impact of removing the subsidies.
The Houthis took advantage of a government-implemented removal of fuel subsidies, to call for mass protests, on 18th August. On 21 September, as the Houthis took control of Sana'a. Subsequently, the Houthis and government signed a UNbrokered deal on 21 September to form a "unity government".
The unrest took a dramatic turn on January 2015, when Houthi fighters seized control of the presidential palace and Hadi's
residence in an effort to gain more influence over the government and the drafting of a new constitution. On 22 January,
Hadi and his government resigned en masse rather than comply with the Houthis' demands. Three weeks later, the
Houthis declared parliament to be dissolved and installed a Revolutionary Committee as the interim authority.
The Indian Navy and Air India have been deployed to evacuate People from Yeman. They have been said to have evacuated people from over 41 countries, till now.
ACTIVITIES