YPIN: The Civil War In Yemen: Any End in Sight?

When the Yemen civil war between pro-government forces and Houthi rebels began back in 2014, few Western observers anticipated that the war would endure as long as it has. When a Saudi-backed coalition entered the conflict in 2015, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman infamously predicted that the conflict would be over within a matter of weeks. Now, as the civil war enters into it’s ninth year, and Yemen continues to face the worst humanitarian crisis of the 21st century, its becoming increasingly uncertain when the war will conclude, and what the country will look like once it has. 

Join YPIN for a discussion, led by humanitarian aid advocate and graduate student at the University of Oxford, Arwa Mokdad, that will guide the audience through the current obstacles preventing the war from ending. In her assessment of the current situation on the ground, Arwa will cover the Saudi blockade resulting in the ongoing food and medical supply shortages, the de facto truce currently in place, and potential avenues for negotiations led by local Yemeni leaders.

Our Speakers

Arwa Mokdad

Arwa Mokdad is an MPhil candidate in International Relations at the University of Oxford. Her studies focus on human rights in the Middle East, particularly in the Gulf. Arwa also works with Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation as a Peace Advocate. Through this work, she supports aid programs in Yemen while participating in policy efforts in the U.S. Growing up between the U.S. and Middle East solidified her global perspective on regional challenges. She has spent time in Egypt, Turkey, Qatar, Lebanon, Yemen, Oman, U.A.E, and Jordan. While studying advanced Arabic at the American University of Beirut, Arwa volunteered as an English teacher for Syrian refugees. She continued this work and taught vulnerable populations within Oman during her gap year at Al Jisr Foundation in Muscat. She is also working on a cultural webinar series “Beyond the War” that aims to build international solidarity with Yemeni communities. Arwa is an honors graduate from the University of Washington in International Studies with a specialty in Human Rights. She is currently working at the International Center for Dialogue Initiatives as a Yemen researcher and analyst. Her work has been featured in the Harvard Middle East Journal, Responsible Statecraft, and other political publications.