Yemen's other crisis

[Ahmed JO]

A Yemeni supporter of the separatist Southern Movement carries a tank shell in the city of Aden on April 6.
Saleh al-Obeidi/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

Saudi Arabia is maintaining its air offensive in Yemen, and Houthi rebels continue to stage assaults. A humanitarian crisis appears imminent.

But another crisis is raging in Yemen that could pose an existential threat to one of the world’s most troubled nations.

Experts predicted in 2010 that Yemen could be the first country to run out of water. Today, half of Yemen’s population–about 13 million people–struggles to secure sufficient supplies of water. Even in Sanaa, the capital, only 40% of households are connected to the municipal water supply. As much as 80% of the conflicts in Yemen’s hinterlands are fought over water—and 4,000 people are killed every year.

I learned of Yemen’s water stress several years ago while researching a book on Pakistan’s water crisis. There are similarities: Both countries are parched, poor, populous, and rapidly urbanizing–all of which can make demand overwhelming. And in both countries, existing resources are poorly managed because of leaky infrastructure and wasteful agricultural water use.

Water shortages are not merely an affliction of the developing world, as California’s recent mandatory restrictions show.

Few countries, however, are as vulnerable as deeply impoverished Yemen. And while fighting for political control will eventually stop, the water crisis will not. Already, water insecurity has been exacerbated by recent unrest that has cut off supplies to some areas. Some locals have been without water for at least five days.

Humanitarian groups are starting to arrive and will provide some much-needed temporary relief. But there may be little they can do to prevent the day when Yemen runs out of water altogether.

 

[UAE]

Sad but I think post Saudi intervention will help Yemen overcomes this crisis of water shortage. The Saudis already pledged $3 billion to help Yemen after things settle down. Kuwait and UAE will also donate few billions as well. Im sure all will be spent on infrastructure.

 

[Rakan.SA]

i hope the war will end fast. the coalition and yemeni tribes need to work harder and be more aggressive with ali saleh and the houthies so this can end ASAP.

 

[UAE]

i hope the war will end fast. the coalition and yemeni tribes need to work harder and be more aggressive with ali saleh and the houthies so this can end ASAP.

The Houthi and Saleh loyalists have all ran out of weapons. There are in total collapse now. A little support to the anti-houthi local will solve the issue. What concerns me is that Yemen might split into south Yemen and north Yemen.

 

[vegito12]

The moeny needs to be used where it is needed not the roadworks and buildings as that can be done later on as water is hardly there and people are struggling as well. The government is going to have to do more, so the people feel safe and also can rest knowing there is going to be clean running water available for them. I wander what will happen in the coming days and weeks and hope a war does not happen while this is going on or there will be economic problems too.