# Yemen's War Explained > In October 2026 the World Food Programme warned that renewed fighting had cut off aid to 800,000 Yemenis. This film explains how the country got here, telling each side's account in its own terms: the mountains and the strait that shape Yemen, the two states born from an imamate and a British colony, the 1962 revolution and the 1990 union, the 1994 war, the rise of the Houthi movement, the 2011 uprising, the 2015 Saudi-led intervention, and the humanitarian crisis that followed. Switch the map between eras, open the road to Taiz and follow ships through Bab al-Mandeb. Interactive film: https://www.planetpast.com/stories/yemen-war-history/ Publisher: PlanetPast (https://www.planetpast.com/) · d => T('readPublished', l, { d: dateIn(d, l) }) 2026-10-16 · Society, History ## Prologue ### A country of many maps *A war told from every side* How Yemen came to its crisis. In the Yemeni city of Taiz, the roads are closed and the flour is running out. On the fourteenth of October 2026, the World Food Programme said 800,000 Yemenis were now beyond its reach, more than 600,000 of them in Taiz. Renewed fighting since early September had shifted the front lines and cut off the routes aid trucks use. Who is fighting, and why? The answer runs back more than a century, through a country that has been two states, then one, and is now divided again. - **800,000**: people beyond WFP’s reach - **600,000+**: of them in Taiz ![WFP says it needs US$268 million through 2027, or it will cut assistance from November. AI-generated still.](https://assets.planetpast.com/a/28/28943e7c44fa5fc0.jpg) - the Houthis (Ansar Allah), who hold Sanaa - the internationally recognised government - Saudi Arabia and its coalition, backing the government Prologue · The news #### Fighting returns to Yemen On 14 October 2026 the World Food Programme said escalating conflict, shifting front lines and blocked roads had put 800,000 people beyond its reach — more than 600,000 in Taiz and the rest on the West Coast, where access was lost in early September — and that wheat flour stocks were nearly exhausted. Al Jazeera reports that the Houthis, who seized Sanaa in 2014, are fighting government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition, and that a 2022 ceasefire has broken down. This film explains the history behind that war and gives each side’s account in its own terms; figures are attributed to their sources. How to use: pick a chapter or press ← →; drag to rotate. Six steps have buttons you can press. Sources: [WFP USA: WFP warns Yemen conflict threatens aid to Taiz (14 Oct 2026)](https://wfpusa.org/news/wfp-warns-yemen-conflict-threatens-aid-taiz/); [Al Jazeera: fighting in Yemen intensifies, what’s the latest on the battlefield (15 Oct 2026)](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/15/fighting-in-yemen-intensifies-whats-the-latest-on-the-battlefield) ## Chapter I · Mountains and a strait ### A green corner of Arabia *Chapter I · Mountains and a strait* Geography explains where people live, and where wars are fought. Yemen sits at the south-western corner of the Arabian Peninsula. Along its western side rise highlands averaging about two thousand metres, where the capital, Sanaa, stands at over two thousand two hundred. Those mountains catch rain and hold most of the people, terraced farms and old cities. To the east the land falls away to desert. And at the south-western tip, the strait of Bab al-Mandeb joins the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, on the shipping route between the Suez Canal and Asia. - **455,503 km²**: area, including Socotra - **~2,259 m**: elevation of Sanaa - **3,666 m**: highest peak, Jabal An-Nabi Shu’ayb ![Terraced fields let farmers grow crops on very steep slopes. AI-generated still.](https://assets.planetpast.com/a/fe/fe34e10e4a2d4ff5.jpg) - Sanaa: the capital, in the highlands - Aden: the southern port - Taiz: between the two - Hodeidah: the Red Sea port Chapter I · Mountains and a strait #### The geography of Yemen Yemen covers 455,503 km², including the islands of Perim and Socotra. Its western and central highlands average about 2,000 m; the highest point, Jabal An-Nabi Shu’ayb, is about 3,666 m, and Sanaa lies at about 2,259 m. The north-east includes part of the Empty Quarter desert. The Bab al-Mandeb strait links the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean via the Gulf of Aden. The 3D map is schematic: outlines, borders and lines of control are approximate. Sources: [Wikipedia: Geography of Yemen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Yemen) ## Chapter II · Two Yemens ### North and South *Chapter II · Two Yemens* Two very different states grew side by side. For most of the twentieth century there were two Yemens. In the north, when Ottoman rule ended in 1918, an independent kingdom emerged, ruled by imams, both religious leaders and kings, of the Zaydi branch of Shia Islam. In the south, the British had held the port of Aden since the nineteenth century, and in 1937 made it a colony, surrounded by a protectorate of smaller states. Two very different worlds, a mountain kingdom and a busy imperial port, sharing one name. - 1918: North: independent kingdom after the Ottomans - 1937: South: Aden becomes a British colony ![A port at the mouth of the Red Sea, valuable to an empire with ships bound for India. AI-generated still.](https://assets.planetpast.com/a/0f/0f5100857d1f05e0.jpg) - **~25%**: of Yemen’s population by one estimate, mostly in the northern highlands Chapter II · Two Yemens #### Kingdom and colony North Yemen became an independent kingdom in November 1918, after the Ottoman Empire dissolved. Most of the South was the British Aden Protectorate, and Aden itself became a British colony in 1937. Zaydis, a branch of Shia Islam, make up about a quarter of Yemen’s population. The 3D map is schematic: outlines, borders and lines of control are approximate. Sources: [Wikipedia: Yemeni unification](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yemeni_unification); [Wikipedia: Houthis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houthis) ### The end of the imams *Chapter II · Two Yemens* A coup in the North drew in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. On the twenty-sixth of September 1962, army officers overthrew the newly crowned imam and declared a republic. The imam escaped and rallied northern tribes, and a civil war began. It became a regional contest. Egypt under President Nasser, champion of Arab republics, sent tens of thousands of troops to back the republicans; Saudi Arabia, a monarchy, armed and funded the royalists. The war ended in 1970, when Saudi Arabia recognised the Republic. Outside powers fighting through Yemeni sides was a pattern that would return. - 26 Sep 1962: Coup against Imam Muhammad al-Badr - 1962–1970: Republicans vs royalists - 1970: Saudi recognition; republican victory - **up to 70,000**: Egyptian troops backing the republicans - **Saudi Arabia**: arms and money for the royalists ![Royalist tribes held the northern mountains; the republic held the cities. AI-generated illustration.](https://assets.planetpast.com/a/51/51bb01468d48cb19.jpg) Chapter II · Two Yemens #### The North Yemen civil war On 26 September 1962, army units under Abdullah al-Sallal overthrew the newly crowned Imam Muhammad al-Badr and declared a republic. Al-Badr rallied northern Zaydi tribes. Egypt under Nasser backed the republicans with as many as 70,000 troops; Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel supplied military aid to the royalists. Saudi Arabia recognised the Republic in 1970. Sources: [Wikipedia: North Yemen civil war (1962–1970)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Yemen_civil_war) ### The British leave *Chapter II · Two Yemens* The South becomes a socialist state. In the South, a nationalist insurgency backed by the Soviet Union pushed Britain out of Aden in 1967. The new state, renamed the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen in 1970, aligned with Moscow. The North, the Yemen Arab Republic, leaned toward its Arab neighbours and the West. Through the Cold War, the two Yemens were rivals as well as neighbours. Use the buttons to compare the map across the eras. ![Old Aden sits inside an extinct volcanic crater beside its harbour. AI-generated still.](https://assets.planetpast.com/a/3d/3d97e981f86420d5.jpg) - North: Yemen Arab Republic, capital Sanaa - South: People’s Republic of South Yemen (1967), renamed PDRY (1970), capital Aden - the South aligned with the Soviet Union - 30 Nov 1967: Independence: People’s Republic of South Yemen - 1970: Renamed People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen - 1990: Merges with the North Chapter II · Two Yemens #### South Yemen A Soviet-backed nationalist insurgency led the United Kingdom to withdraw from Aden in 1967. The South became independent on 30 November 1967 and was renamed the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen in 1970; the North was the Yemen Arab Republic. “Leaned toward its Arab neighbours and the West” is a broad simplification of the North’s Cold War position. The 3D map is schematic: outlines, borders and lines of control are approximate. Sources: [Wikipedia: Yemeni unification](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yemeni_unification); [GlobalSecurity: South Yemen (People’s Republic 1967, PDRY 1970)](https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/yemen/yemen-south.htm) ## Chapter III · One Yemen ### Unification *Chapter III · One Yemen* Two states merge as the Cold War ends. As the Cold War ended, the two states merged. On the twenty-second of May 1990, they became the Republic of Yemen, with Sanaa as its capital. The North's leader, Ali Abdullah Saleh, became head of state. The South's leader, Ali Salem al-Beidh, became head of government. On paper it was a partnership. In practice, the two sides kept their own armies, and trust ran thin. - **22 May 1990**: unification day - **Sanaa**: capital - Ali Abdullah Saleh (North): head of state - Ali Salem al-Beidh (South): head of government ![Sanaa, high in the mountains, became the capital of the united country. AI-generated still.](https://assets.planetpast.com/a/cb/cb0b9f26a9ded6c3.jpg) Chapter III · One Yemen #### Unification On 22 May 1990 the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen and the Yemen Arab Republic merged into the Republic of Yemen, with Sanaa as capital. Ali Abdullah Saleh became head of state and Ali Salem al-Beidh head of government. The 3D map is schematic: outlines, borders and lines of control are approximate. Sources: [Wikipedia: Yemeni unification](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yemeni_unification) ### The union cracks *Chapter III · One Yemen* A short war, a long grievance. By 1993, al-Beidh had withdrawn to Aden. In May 1994 civil war broke out, and southern leaders declared a separate state that no country recognised. On the seventh of July 1994, Aden fell to northern forces. Thousands of southern leaders and soldiers went into exile. The country stayed united. But for many in the South, unity now felt like conquest, a grievance that would later grow into a movement for independence. - Aug 1993: Al-Beidh withdraws to Aden - May 1994: Civil war breaks out - 21 May 1994: Southern state declared; unrecognised - 7 Jul 1994: Aden falls; the North prevails - **Aden**: falls to northern forces - **thousands**: southern leaders and soldiers go into exile - in Sanaa: unity defended against secession - for many southerners: the South was conquered Chapter III · One Yemen #### The 1994 civil war Coalition disputes led al-Beidh into self-imposed exile in Aden in August 1993. A February 1994 accord failed; war broke out in early May. Southern leaders declared the Democratic Republic of Yemen on 21 May 1994, which no country recognised. Aden fell on 7 July 1994, thousands of southern leaders and soldiers went into exile, and the country remained unified. Saleh was elected president by parliament in October 1994. The southern independence movement that grew later includes the Southern Transitional Council, founded in 2017. Sources: [Wikipedia: Yemeni unification](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yemeni_unification); [Wikipedia: Southern Transitional Council](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Transitional_Council) ## Chapter IV · The northern movement ### The Houthis *Chapter IV · The northern movement* A religious revival that became an armed movement. Far to the north, in Saada, a new movement was growing. In 1992 a group called the Believing Youth began promoting a revival of Zaydi religion and culture through schools and summer camps. Its leader, Hussein al-Houthi, became an outspoken critic of the government and of the United States. In 2004 the government sent forces to arrest him; he launched an insurgency and was killed that September. His brother Abdul-Malik took over. Through several rounds of fighting until 2010, the movement, named after the family, grew stronger. It later took the name Ansar Allah, “supporters of God”. ![A mountain governorate on the Saudi border, heartland of the Zaydi revival. AI-generated still.](https://assets.planetpast.com/a/0d/0d12cc44189b171e.jpg) - 1992: Believing Youth founded in Saada - 2003: Movement adopts its slogan against the US and Israel - Sep 2004: Hussein al-Houthi killed - 2004–2010: Saada wars, ending in a 2010 ceasefire - the movement: defending Zaydi identity against marginalisation and foreign influence - the government then: an armed rebellion against the state Chapter IV · The northern movement #### Origins of the Houthis The Houthis grew out of the Believing Youth, founded in 1992 in Saada Governorate, which promoted a Zaydi revival. In 2004 the authorities arrested hundreds of supporters and sent forces to arrest Hussein al-Houthi; he launched an insurgency and was killed in September 2004. His brother Abdul-Malik al-Houthi later led the movement. Fighting continued intermittently until a 2010 ceasefire. The movement’s 2003 slogan includes “Death to America” and “Death to Israel”. Sources number the rounds of the Saada wars differently, and do not date when the name Ansar Allah was adopted. The 3D map is schematic: outlines, borders and lines of control are approximate. Sources: [Wikipedia: Houthis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houthis) ### The Arab Spring *Chapter IV · The northern movement* Thirty-three years of rule end with a deal. In January 2011, inspired by uprisings across the Arab world, crowds filled the streets of Sanaa, and soon Aden and Taiz, demanding that President Saleh step down. After months of violence, Saleh signed a deal brokered by the Gulf Cooperation Council, handing power to his vice-president, Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, in exchange for immunity. In February 2012 Hadi was elected unopposed. The Houthis rejected the deal, and by then already controlled much of the far north. - Jan 2011: Protests begin in Sanaa, then spread south - Nov 2011: Saleh signs the GCC deal - 21 Feb 2012: Hadi elected as sole candidate - 27 Feb 2012: Saleh formally resigns after 33 years - brokered by the Gulf Cooperation Council, a bloc of six Gulf monarchies - Saleh hands power to Vice-President Hadi - in return: immunity from prosecution - **~2,000**: dead - **~22,000**: injured Chapter IV · The northern movement #### The Yemeni revolution Protests began in January 2011. In November 2011 Saleh signed a Gulf Cooperation Council deal transferring power to Vice-President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi in exchange for immunity. Hadi was elected unopposed on 21 February 2012, and Saleh formally resigned on 27 February, ending 33 years in power. About 2,000 people died. The Houthis rejected the GCC deal; by late 2011 they controlled Saada and Al Jawf. Sources: [Wikipedia: Yemeni revolution (2011–2012)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yemeni_revolution); [Wikipedia: Houthis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houthis) ## Chapter V · The war ### Sanaa falls *Chapter V · The war* A rebellion takes the capital, and a coalition intervenes. In September 2014 the Houthis moved into Sanaa, now allied with their old enemy, the former president Saleh. By early 2015 they held the presidential palace, and Hadi fled south, then to Saudi Arabia. On the twenty-sixth of March 2015, at Hadi's request, a coalition of nine countries led by Saudi Arabia began air strikes, and imposed an air and sea blockade. Each side tells it differently. The Houthis call it resistance to foreign aggression. The government and its allies call it restoring a legitimate government after a coup they say Iran backs. Iranian and Yemeni officials have described some Iranian support; the Houthis deny substantial aid, and Iran denies directing them. - Sep 2014: Houthis enter Sanaa, allied with Saleh - Jan–Feb 2015: Presidential palace seized; Houthis declare control - 26 Mar 2015: Saudi-led coalition intervenes ![The intervention’s first phase was named Operation Decisive Storm. AI-generated still.](https://assets.planetpast.com/a/a5/a580db4c8493c6e8.jpg) - Houthis: resisting foreign aggression and a corrupt order - Government and Saudi-led coalition: restoring the legitimate government after a coup - Iran: some support described by officials; denies commanding the Houthis - **9**: countries in the Saudi-led coalition at the start - **air and sea**: blockade imposed Chapter V · The war #### 2014–2015 By September 2014 the Houthis controlled parts of Sanaa; allied with Ali Abdullah Saleh, they seized the presidential palace in January 2015 and declared control of the government in February. President Hadi asked the UN Security Council and the Arab League for help and fled to Saudi Arabia. On 26 March 2015 Saudi Arabia led a coalition of nine countries into Yemen and imposed an air and naval blockade. On Iran: Iranian and Yemeni officials have confirmed support such as trainers, weapons and money, while the Houthis deny receiving substantial aid; a 2015 US assessment said Iran did not command them. The 3D map is schematic: outlines, borders and lines of control are approximate. Sources: [Wikipedia: Houthis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houthis); [Wikipedia: Saudi-led intervention in the Yemeni civil war](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi-led_intervention_in_the_Yemeni_civil_war) ### A war of many sides *Chapter V · The war* Alliances shifted, and the South rose again. The war did not stay two-sided. In December 2017 Saleh broke with the Houthis and was killed by them. In the South, a new body backed by the United Arab Emirates, the Southern Transitional Council, began pushing for a southern state, even though the Emirates were Saudi Arabia's coalition partner. In 2022 Hadi handed power to a collective leadership, the Presidential Leadership Council. Late in 2025 the Southern Transitional Council seized most of the former South, before a Saudi-backed counteroffensive in January 2026 pushed it back. Today, roughly speaking, the Houthis hold the capital and the northern highlands, while the government and its allies hold much of the south and east. Use the buttons to compare the eras. - Houthis (Ansar Allah): Sanaa and the northern highlands - Recognised government (Presidential Leadership Council, PLC, since 2022), backed by Saudi Arabia - Southern Transitional Council (2017), UAE-backed; its dissolution, announced in January 2026, is disputed by its leaders - May 2017: STC founded with UAE support - Apr 2022: Hadi transfers power to the PLC - Dec 2025: STC offensive takes most of the former South - Jan 2026: Saudi-backed counteroffensive; STC loses Aden - **North-west**: Houthi-held, including Sanaa and Hodeidah - **South and east**: government and allies, including Aden and Marib Chapter V · The war #### Shifting alliances The Southern Transitional Council was founded on 11 May 2017 with UAE support, seeking a southern state. It joined the Presidential Leadership Council when Hadi transferred his powers to it in April 2022. In December 2025 the STC took most of former South Yemen; in January 2026 a Saudi-backed PLC counteroffensive retook Hadhramaut, Al-Mahrah, Abyan and Shabwah, and the STC lost Aden. In December 2017 Saleh switched sides and was killed by his former Houthi allies, ending their alliance. Lines of control on the map are rough and change with the fighting. The 3D map is schematic: outlines, borders and lines of control are approximate. Sources: [Wikipedia: Southern Transitional Council](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Transitional_Council); [CS Monitor: Yemen’s ex-president killed by rebels, destroying Houthi alliance (4 Dec 2017)](https://www.csmonitor.com/layout/set/amphtml/World/Middle-East/2017/1204/Yemen-s-ex-president-killed-by-rebels-destroying-Houthi-alliance) ### Truce, and the sea *Chapter V · The war* A pause that did not last, and a war that reached the shipping lanes. In April 2022 a UN-brokered truce brought a pause: flights from Sanaa resumed and fuel ships reached Hodeidah. It formally lapsed that October, but large-scale fighting stayed lower for years. Then the war reached the sea. From late 2023, citing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, the Houthis fired at Israel and attacked ships in the Red Sea; the United States and Britain struck back in January 2024. Since September 2026 the war has flared again: Houthi missiles and drones have struck Saudi airports, and coalition jets have struck Houthi positions and Sanaa. According to Al Jazeera, Saudi Arabia now relies more on this strait for oil exports, since Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz in March during its war with the United States and Israel. - took effect 2 April 2022 - commercial flights from Sanaa - fuel ships into Hodeidah - formally lapsed 2 October 2022 - 31 Oct 2023: Houthis fire missiles at Israel - Jan 2024: US and UK strikes on Houthi targets - Feb 2026: Houthis announce renewed ship attacks after US and Israeli strikes on Iran - Sep–Oct 2026: Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia; coalition strikes on Houthi areas ![Ships between the Suez Canal and Asia pass this strait or sail around Africa instead. AI-generated still.](https://assets.planetpast.com/a/17/173baf8bcf6b1ebf.jpg) - **Hormuz**: closed by Iran since March 2026 (Al Jazeera) - **Bab al-Mandeb**: now carries more Saudi oil exports Chapter V · The war #### Truce and the Red Sea A UN-brokered nationwide truce took effect on 2 April 2022, allowing fuel ships into Hodeidah and commercial flights from Sanaa; it formally lapsed on 2 October 2022, after which Houthi and Saudi officials held Oman-mediated talks. From 31 October 2023 the Houthis fired missiles at Israel and attacked Red Sea shipping, saying they acted in solidarity with Palestinians; the US and UK struck Houthi targets in January 2024, and the Houthis announced renewed ship attacks in February 2026. Al Jazeera reports that Saudi Arabia has relied on the Bab al-Mandeb route for oil exports since Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz in March 2026. “Large-scale fighting stayed lower” summarises the period after the truce in general terms. The 3D map is schematic: outlines, borders and lines of control are approximate. Sources: [UN Special Envoy for Yemen: press statement on a two-month truce (1 Apr 2022)](https://www.iranwatch.org/library/multilateral-organizations/united-nations/un-secretary-general/press-statement-un-special-envoy-yemen-hans-grundberg-two-month-truce); [Wikipedia: Saudi-led intervention in the Yemeni civil war](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi-led_intervention_in_the_Yemeni_civil_war); [Wikipedia: Houthis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houthis); [Al Jazeera: fighting in Yemen intensifies, what’s the latest on the battlefield (15 Oct 2026)](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/15/fighting-in-yemen-intensifies-whats-the-latest-on-the-battlefield) ## Chapter VI · The cost ### Hunger, the war’s main killer *Chapter VI · The cost* Most deaths came not from bullets. The cost has been immense. The UN Development Programme estimated that by the end of 2021 the war had caused 377,000 deaths, about sixty per cent of them from indirect causes such as hunger and disease. In 2026 the UN counts more than twenty-two million people in need of help, over eighteen million acutely short of food, and more than five million displaced inside the country. Who eats depends on roads and ports. Taiz, held by government forces, has been besieged by the Houthis since 2015, while the coalition's blockade limits what reaches Houthi areas. - **377,000**: deaths, direct and indirect - **~60%**: from indirect causes: hunger, disease - **22 million+**: need help - **18.3 million**: acutely short of food - **5.2 million**: displaced inside Yemen ![14.4 million people need water, sanitation and hygiene assistance (OCHA, 2026). AI-generated still.](https://assets.planetpast.com/a/b8/b8cabd9a942a6ac7.jpg) - Taiz: besieged by the Houthis since April 2015 (road partly reopened 2024) - coalition air and sea blockade since 2015 - aid funding shortfalls Chapter VI · The cost #### The human cost A UNDP report projected 377,000 deaths by the end of 2021, about 60% from indirect causes such as hunger and preventable disease. OCHA’s 2026 plan counts more than 22 million people in need, 18.3 million acutely food insecure, 5.2 million internally displaced and over 2.2 million acutely malnourished children under five, and requests US$2.16 billion. The Houthi siege of government-held Taiz began on 15 April 2015; a key road was partially reopened in June 2024. The siege status is as described in sources up to mid-2025. Sources: [Al Jazeera: Yemen war deaths will reach 377,000 by end of the year, UN (UNDP, 23 Nov 2021)](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/11/23/un-yemen-recovery-possible-in-one-generation-if-war-stops-now); [UN Yemen / OCHA: Yemen Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2026 (March 2026)](https://yemen.un.org/en/312711-ocha-yemen-yemen-humanitarian-needs-and-response-plan-2026-march-2026); [Wikipedia: Siege of Taiz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Taiz); [Wikipedia: Saudi-led intervention in the Yemeni civil war](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi-led_intervention_in_the_Yemeni_civil_war) ## Epilogue ### A country of many maps *Epilogue* Old divisions, new wars, and people in between. Yemen's war layers old lines on new ones: a northern mountain movement with roots in Zaydi revival, a South that remembers being its own state, and neighbours who have intervened since the 1960s. Each side sees itself as defending the country. Every truce has shown that roads can open and ships can move when the guns stop. Until then, the map that matters most to millions of Yemenis is the one that shows which roads are open to food. - 1918: Northern kingdom independent - 1962–1970: Revolution and civil war in the North - 1967: British leave Aden - 1990 / 1994: Unification, then civil war - 2004–2015: Saada wars, uprising, Sanaa falls, intervention - 2026: Renewed fighting; 800,000 cut off from aid ![All stills in this film are AI-generated; none shows a real event or person.](https://assets.planetpast.com/a/11/11f57c04613db6f5.jpg) > Wheat flour stocks are nearly exhausted. (World Food Programme, 14 October 2026) Epilogue · Sources #### Yemen’s war explained This film summarises a contested history. It presents each party’s account in its own terms, attributes casualty and humanitarian figures to their sources with their dates, and does not take sides. The 3D map is schematic; borders and lines of control are approximate and change frequently. All images are AI-generated and show no real people or events. Figures for 2026 are as reported in October 2026. Sources: [WFP USA: WFP warns Yemen conflict threatens aid to Taiz (14 Oct 2026)](https://wfpusa.org/news/wfp-warns-yemen-conflict-threatens-aid-taiz/); [Al Jazeera: fighting in Yemen intensifies, what’s the latest on the battlefield (15 Oct 2026)](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/15/fighting-in-yemen-intensifies-whats-the-latest-on-the-battlefield); [Wikipedia: Geography of Yemen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Yemen); [Wikipedia: Yemeni unification](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yemeni_unification); [Wikipedia: North Yemen civil war (1962–1970)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Yemen_civil_war); [Wikipedia: Houthis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houthis); [Wikipedia: Yemeni revolution (2011–2012)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yemeni_revolution); [Wikipedia: Saudi-led intervention in the Yemeni civil war](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi-led_intervention_in_the_Yemeni_civil_war); [Wikipedia: Southern Transitional Council](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Transitional_Council); [Al Jazeera: Yemen war deaths will reach 377,000 by end of the year, UN (UNDP, 23 Nov 2021)](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/11/23/un-yemen-recovery-possible-in-one-generation-if-war-stops-now); [UN Yemen / OCHA: Yemen Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2026 (March 2026)](https://yemen.un.org/en/312711-ocha-yemen-yemen-humanitarian-needs-and-response-plan-2026-march-2026); [Wikipedia: Siege of Taiz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Taiz); [GlobalSecurity: South Yemen (People’s Republic 1967, PDRY 1970)](https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/yemen/yemen-south.htm); [CS Monitor: Yemen’s ex-president killed by rebels, destroying Houthi alliance (4 Dec 2017)](https://www.csmonitor.com/layout/set/amphtml/World/Middle-East/2017/1204/Yemen-s-ex-president-killed-by-rebels-destroying-Houthi-alliance); [UN Special Envoy for Yemen: press statement on a two-month truce (1 Apr 2022)](https://www.iranwatch.org/library/multilateral-organizations/united-nations/un-secretary-general/press-statement-un-special-envoy-yemen-hans-grundberg-two-month-truce)