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Yemen in Crisis: Autocracy, Neo-Liberalism and the Disintegration of a State
Yemen is in the grip of its most severe crisis in years. Fuelled by Arab and Western intervention, the civil war has quickly escalated, resulting in thousands killed and millions close to starvation. Suffering from a collapsed economy, the people of Yemen face a desperate choice between the Huthi rebels allied with ex-President Saleh on the one side and the internationally recognised government propped up by the Saudi-led coalition and Western arms on the other.
The struggle for power in the Arab world’s poorest but strategically vital nation has serious implications for the region and beyond. While Saudi Arabia and its allies fear that a Huthi takeover would threaten free passage of oil through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, Western governments fear an increase of attacks from al-Qa‘ida in the absence of effective governance.
In this invaluable analysis, Helen Lackner uncovers the roots of the social and political conflicts that threaten the very survival of the state and its people. She reveals the corruption of the country’s US-backed autocratic regime, as well as its failure to address national impoverishment and to plan an equitable economy for Yemen’s growing population.
The struggle for power in the Arab world’s poorest but strategically vital nation has serious implications for the region and beyond. While Saudi Arabia and its allies fear that a Huthi takeover would threaten free passage of oil through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, Western governments fear an increase of attacks from al-Qa‘ida in the absence of effective governance.
In this invaluable analysis, Helen Lackner uncovers the roots of the social and political conflicts that threaten the very survival of the state and its people. She reveals the corruption of the country’s US-backed autocratic regime, as well as its failure to address national impoverishment and to plan an equitable economy for Yemen’s growing population.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published April 30, 2019
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778 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 28, 2018
Excellent resource. Like Sheila Carapico's Arabia Icognita, this book is an investigation into the complex origins of the catastrophe ("crisis" is really too mild a word) unfolding in Yemen. There are some differences in emphasis; Lackner is a bit harder on the Houthis than Carapico, for example.
In her telling, while they once represented a religious and political movement, at this point they're mostly just a gang of warlords. Further, Lackner predicts that if the Houthi alliance with their former enemy Saleh were to collapse, the Saudi coalition would win a quick victory. It's worth noting that since the publication of this book (2017) this alliance has collapsed, and yet the Saudis are not actually any closer to retaking northeast Yemen. This makes me wonder if the Houthis actually do have more popular support than she credits them with. Still, no doubt the cliche is correct and they're "no angels". As the original leadership has been assassinated, the most brutal element rose to the surface after years of war.
Everyone can that agree Saleh was a corrupt and brutal leader, but Lackner does an excellent job showing the very real external constraints he faced after Yemeni unification in 1990. Along with Fidel Castro, Saleh was the only head of state to oppose the first Gulf War at the UN. He and his country would be made to pay dearly for this act of independence. As punishment, Saudi Arabia expelled 800,000 Yemeni workers from their country, seriously throwing a wrench in an economy that depended largely on remittances from abroad. Saleh learned his lesson, and from then on would submit to the dictates of his wealthy Gulf neighbors, American empire, and the neoliberal economic policies of the World Bank and IMF. Thus the system has never allowed Yemeni self-determination. While its origins are complex, the current war can be understood as a disciplinary measure. The extreme sadism of the Saudi coalition is a feature, not a bug, as the point is to break the people for a generation or two to come (the Saudi Crown Prince and defense minister has said this more or less explicitly.)
While Lackner expertly shows how the situation is human-made, all she can offer in the end is a call for "hope." This seems like a rather apolitical response to a catastrophe that is political through and through. A rather etiolated sort of hope that is really pretty close to despair; could just be pessimism of the intellect.
In her telling, while they once represented a religious and political movement, at this point they're mostly just a gang of warlords. Further, Lackner predicts that if the Houthi alliance with their former enemy Saleh were to collapse, the Saudi coalition would win a quick victory. It's worth noting that since the publication of this book (2017) this alliance has collapsed, and yet the Saudis are not actually any closer to retaking northeast Yemen. This makes me wonder if the Houthis actually do have more popular support than she credits them with. Still, no doubt the cliche is correct and they're "no angels". As the original leadership has been assassinated, the most brutal element rose to the surface after years of war.
Everyone can that agree Saleh was a corrupt and brutal leader, but Lackner does an excellent job showing the very real external constraints he faced after Yemeni unification in 1990. Along with Fidel Castro, Saleh was the only head of state to oppose the first Gulf War at the UN. He and his country would be made to pay dearly for this act of independence. As punishment, Saudi Arabia expelled 800,000 Yemeni workers from their country, seriously throwing a wrench in an economy that depended largely on remittances from abroad. Saleh learned his lesson, and from then on would submit to the dictates of his wealthy Gulf neighbors, American empire, and the neoliberal economic policies of the World Bank and IMF. Thus the system has never allowed Yemeni self-determination. While its origins are complex, the current war can be understood as a disciplinary measure. The extreme sadism of the Saudi coalition is a feature, not a bug, as the point is to break the people for a generation or two to come (the Saudi Crown Prince and defense minister has said this more or less explicitly.)
While Lackner expertly shows how the situation is human-made, all she can offer in the end is a call for "hope." This seems like a rather apolitical response to a catastrophe that is political through and through. A rather etiolated sort of hope that is really pretty close to despair; could just be pessimism of the intellect.
January 11, 2022
It's a good book to review Yemen’s recent history.
December 28, 2023
A good book, and the author is clearly an expert on Yemen. However, the structure of the book is messy, which makes it difficult to read at times.
December 2, 2019
Yemen is a country that is in a strategic position on the Bab al-Mandeb Strait which links the Suez Canal and the Indian Ocean.It is in the middle of a proxy fight between Saudi Arabia and Iran, the Saudi air strikes supported by the United States. It is also one of the poorer countries in the world and many of its 28 million people are in danger of starvation, a humanitarian crisis of the worst kind. In view of all this, a recommended book on Yemen seemed like a good thing to read.
Unfortunately, reading this book was like like reading an encyclopedia incredibly dry and full of so many facts that by tne end, I felt I had just waded through a such a morass of details so that nothing really stood out. I’ll try, anyway. Yemen’s problems are many, beginning with its geography and an increasing lack of water. There has been a shift of the population from the rural areas to the cities which have grown far too quickly to accommodate such an influx of people.
The government is weak and there is constant infighting among various tribal groups. Some factions are favorable to neighboring Saudi Arabia some to Iran. Saudi Arabia started an air war which caused enormous civilian casualties , one it thought would be over quickly, but has dragged on for years with no real peace in sight. A big reason for the war was the Saudi fear that Iran would take control of the country although the author largely disputes that claim, and it’s in Saudi interests to keep Yemen from emerging as any kind of strong state. Yemen is not self-sustaining so food has to be imported, and when embargoes were imposed, severe food shortages resulted.
At one point the United States was involved in Yemen as it feared that terrorists were located there and invested in military support. But when that threat was found to be mostly non-existent, the U.S essentially lost interest in the country and now has no official Yemen policy at all, except as Yemen figures in Saudi war plans.
There is plenty of information in this book, including a detailed recent history of the country with its many intrigues and counter intrigues to gain and hold power. The author identifies these groups and then uses acronyms in discussing them, and it’s nearly impossible to sort them all out. As a reference book about topics in Yemen, the book has value, but for general reading, it’s tough going.
Unfortunately, reading this book was like like reading an encyclopedia incredibly dry and full of so many facts that by tne end, I felt I had just waded through a such a morass of details so that nothing really stood out. I’ll try, anyway. Yemen’s problems are many, beginning with its geography and an increasing lack of water. There has been a shift of the population from the rural areas to the cities which have grown far too quickly to accommodate such an influx of people.
The government is weak and there is constant infighting among various tribal groups. Some factions are favorable to neighboring Saudi Arabia some to Iran. Saudi Arabia started an air war which caused enormous civilian casualties , one it thought would be over quickly, but has dragged on for years with no real peace in sight. A big reason for the war was the Saudi fear that Iran would take control of the country although the author largely disputes that claim, and it’s in Saudi interests to keep Yemen from emerging as any kind of strong state. Yemen is not self-sustaining so food has to be imported, and when embargoes were imposed, severe food shortages resulted.
At one point the United States was involved in Yemen as it feared that terrorists were located there and invested in military support. But when that threat was found to be mostly non-existent, the U.S essentially lost interest in the country and now has no official Yemen policy at all, except as Yemen figures in Saudi war plans.
There is plenty of information in this book, including a detailed recent history of the country with its many intrigues and counter intrigues to gain and hold power. The author identifies these groups and then uses acronyms in discussing them, and it’s nearly impossible to sort them all out. As a reference book about topics in Yemen, the book has value, but for general reading, it’s tough going.
April 8, 2024
The book certainly lacks nothing in terms of detail; Lackner clearly demonstrates having made good use of her 40+ years in Yemen. And, more likely than not, her book is the best available resource on the topic. However, the book suffers from a near-total lack of cohesion, be it chapter-to-chapter or paragraph-to-paragraph. The book serves as a fine reference but lacks any value as a narrative.
February 21, 2020
It is very strange the nostalgia I had while reading this book and how it detailed the periods of Yemen's past as if it was sequencing my own. I can only cry and wish that my Yemen goes back to what it once was, and that we can all go back to smell the monsoon rains, and listen to our songs while sipping some Yemeni coffee.
May 28, 2020
On a positive note, the book is among very few – if any- books to try to say everything about the Yemeni “problem”, not just the “terrorism-anti terrorism” perspective or the humanitarian situation.
But it seems that as if the book was written by an educated northern author biased toward the zaidiyyah section. The book has ignored the fact that zaidiyyah, regardless of being a minority, has ruled – exclusively by force and blood- most of the north for hundreds of years. Up until 2012, not a single non zaidiy president ruled Sana’a. Almost every single war inside the north, with the mutarafiah, with tihamah, with the middle areas, or against the south a few years ago, has the zaidiy doctrine in the very core of it. None of these areas/groups has ever started an attack against the zaidiy areas. Ignoring such a background is like discussing European medieval conflicts without discussing the catholic/protestant/ orthodox backgrounds.
Discussing that and acknowledging it, will help in proposing solutions, as such heritage will not be solved by improving water drilling equipment. “citizens in the midlands region were once again taxed at a rate approximately double that paid by the highlands population” YEMEN: THE 60-YEAR WAR GERALD M. FEIERSTEIN. The bottom line, zaidiy and non-zaidiy Yemenis have never been equal, not even in blood money (money paid when someone is killed). Tihama people tried to repel and failed, middle areas people tried to repel and failed, southern people are still rebelling and might fail as well if Abdulmalik al Houti and Ali Mohsen Al Ahmar strike a deal.
The second northern oriented explanation is with the southern “identity”, the book ignored that identity is a “sense”, please google “definition of national identity”, even more, the author failed to mention that northern elite has participated in solidifying the southern sense of identity, Abdullah bin Hussain Al Ahmar described the south as a “branch that came back to its origin”. The first retirees gathering in 7-7-2007 in Aden used the unified Yemen army uniform with the unified flag on their dress and military cap. No southern flags were waved.
The third northern oriented explanation for the southern issue was when dealing with the southern transitional council in almost two pages of the book only. The author got it right regarding the many -similar yet different- tens of southern groups before the declaration of the southern transitional council, but she failed to mention that most of them have disappeared after the declaration. Also, it failed to recognize many strong names of eastern people among the founders of the council. Just as any northern educated elite, failed to read the social and political changes in the south and kept saying “ they are divided, they don’t get it, everybody is suffering, they won’t make it, let’s improve water drilling equipment and they will stop”.
An important, biased, and slightly condescending – against both south and north- book about Yemen.
But it seems that as if the book was written by an educated northern author biased toward the zaidiyyah section. The book has ignored the fact that zaidiyyah, regardless of being a minority, has ruled – exclusively by force and blood- most of the north for hundreds of years. Up until 2012, not a single non zaidiy president ruled Sana’a. Almost every single war inside the north, with the mutarafiah, with tihamah, with the middle areas, or against the south a few years ago, has the zaidiy doctrine in the very core of it. None of these areas/groups has ever started an attack against the zaidiy areas. Ignoring such a background is like discussing European medieval conflicts without discussing the catholic/protestant/ orthodox backgrounds.
Discussing that and acknowledging it, will help in proposing solutions, as such heritage will not be solved by improving water drilling equipment. “citizens in the midlands region were once again taxed at a rate approximately double that paid by the highlands population” YEMEN: THE 60-YEAR WAR GERALD M. FEIERSTEIN. The bottom line, zaidiy and non-zaidiy Yemenis have never been equal, not even in blood money (money paid when someone is killed). Tihama people tried to repel and failed, middle areas people tried to repel and failed, southern people are still rebelling and might fail as well if Abdulmalik al Houti and Ali Mohsen Al Ahmar strike a deal.
The second northern oriented explanation is with the southern “identity”, the book ignored that identity is a “sense”, please google “definition of national identity”, even more, the author failed to mention that northern elite has participated in solidifying the southern sense of identity, Abdullah bin Hussain Al Ahmar described the south as a “branch that came back to its origin”. The first retirees gathering in 7-7-2007 in Aden used the unified Yemen army uniform with the unified flag on their dress and military cap. No southern flags were waved.
The third northern oriented explanation for the southern issue was when dealing with the southern transitional council in almost two pages of the book only. The author got it right regarding the many -similar yet different- tens of southern groups before the declaration of the southern transitional council, but she failed to mention that most of them have disappeared after the declaration. Also, it failed to recognize many strong names of eastern people among the founders of the council. Just as any northern educated elite, failed to read the social and political changes in the south and kept saying “ they are divided, they don’t get it, everybody is suffering, they won’t make it, let’s improve water drilling equipment and they will stop”.
An important, biased, and slightly condescending – against both south and north- book about Yemen.
August 16, 2020
Lackner's 'Yemen in Crisis' is an excellent study, invaluable for anyone in need of a substantive introduction to the current crisis in Yemen and its historical context. The book divides into thematic subsections, the early chapters providing a summarised history of the state, the 2011 uprisings, and the descent into civil war, as well as a critical look at the role played by external actors - Saudi Arabia, Iran, Britain, the USA and the UAE. She looks at the work of the National Dialogue Conference in 2013, the rise of the Huthi movement off the back of rampant corruption in both the pre-2011 Salah and Western-backed Hadi government, the rise of the southern separatist movement(s), and the rise of Islamist armed actors, particularly in the east.
Lackner also affords great space to the different experiences of the Republic of Yemen (North Yemen) and People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (South Yemen) and how those differences remain exacerbated by the current political situation, offering insightful analysis to show how uneven (and inequitable) processes of development contribute to various facets of the conflict. Later in the book, a chapter is dedicated to natural resources and to the issue of southern separatism, respectively.
The story will ultimately be unsurprising to any seasoned researcher into the contemporary Middle East - oligarchies legitimised by third parties (the aforementioned states), development hindered by international economic norms (ie. the hegemony of neoliberalism), and a rounded failure to foster consensus-based conflict resolution in spite of an ever-worsening humanitarian crisis. Though I realise it is almost a cliche now, to anyone seeking to blame Yemenis in their entirety for the current situation I posit that it would be greatly naive and misguided to suggest these externalities have not greatly exercerbated the way things have played out.
Though this is really an introductory text, it has much to offer both the new and the experienced. A work only complemented by further reading - of which Lackner offers some suggestions.
Lackner also affords great space to the different experiences of the Republic of Yemen (North Yemen) and People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (South Yemen) and how those differences remain exacerbated by the current political situation, offering insightful analysis to show how uneven (and inequitable) processes of development contribute to various facets of the conflict. Later in the book, a chapter is dedicated to natural resources and to the issue of southern separatism, respectively.
The story will ultimately be unsurprising to any seasoned researcher into the contemporary Middle East - oligarchies legitimised by third parties (the aforementioned states), development hindered by international economic norms (ie. the hegemony of neoliberalism), and a rounded failure to foster consensus-based conflict resolution in spite of an ever-worsening humanitarian crisis. Though I realise it is almost a cliche now, to anyone seeking to blame Yemenis in their entirety for the current situation I posit that it would be greatly naive and misguided to suggest these externalities have not greatly exercerbated the way things have played out.
Though this is really an introductory text, it has much to offer both the new and the experienced. A work only complemented by further reading - of which Lackner offers some suggestions.
April 7, 2022
I found this book to be an excellent in-depth explanation of the current crisis in Yemen. Each chapter dives deep into the various thematic underlying causes of the war including the history of Yemen with its two distinct entities (the Republic of Yemen (aka North Yemen) and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (aka South Yemen)), the reunification of the country in 1990, the role of the international community in not allowing total Yemini-driven self-determination post reunification, the historical and contemporary roles of tribal identities and Islam, among many others.
Additionally, I really appreciated the focus that Lackner to many cross-cutting development issues including the water crisis in Yemen and its role in fueling the current conflict and the low social development of the Yemini population because there is no way in which the conflict can be sustainably ended and addressed without addressing these key components.
Additionally, I really appreciated the focus that Lackner to many cross-cutting development issues including the water crisis in Yemen and its role in fueling the current conflict and the low social development of the Yemini population because there is no way in which the conflict can be sustainably ended and addressed without addressing these key components.
June 24, 2020
Helen Lackner seems to have written a book about the history and current state of Yemen. Yet, having completed the monumental journey that is finishing it, it feels like a book about so much more. The UN, the entire Middle East, Islamic culture, economic lives of the world’s poorest, failures of nonprofits, climate change, and Yemen itself are all topics explored with respect to the civil war. This book reshaped my thoughts about the world and gave me essential perspectives I never should have lacked. If you’re on the fence about this book, absolutely read it. It will be worth it.
January 10, 2020
I had high expectations for this book. The author was clearly very knowledgeable but so are most authors who want to write a book on a particular subject. I had a very difficult time finding takeaways from the countless statistics, groups, and cities that all seemed to humble together. After reading 300 pages on the conflict I would say I understand it slight better but usually find books on the Middle East much more digestible and greater learning experiences.
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January 9, 2024In Yemen In Crisis, Helen Lackner covers the recent history of Yemen and the current conflict in the country with special attention to the environmental crisis and shortcomings of humanitarian aid efforts. The New Arab talks to the author.
Read our review here: https://newarab.com/features/yemen-cr...
Read our review here: https://newarab.com/features/yemen-cr...
October 31, 2019
Read with a glass of water because this is a DRY book.
I found the way the chapters laid out poorly done, as it jumped around a great deal. That aside the book was informative and the author seemed well-versed on the subject.
I found the way the chapters laid out poorly done, as it jumped around a great deal. That aside the book was informative and the author seemed well-versed on the subject.
May 1, 2024
Very in-depth history and i understand why Yemen is considered the one of the poorest countries in the world. As with many other third world countries, the greed and corruption of the few have crippled the majority of the population.
January 17, 2022
I thought this was well researched, and provided an excellent, rounded overview of the modern history of Yemen. The only let-down was the 2017 publication, which meant the analyse of the current civil war was limited to its build-up and early interventions.
September 17, 2025
A great, thorough resource for the history and modern reality of the various crises Yemen faced in 2017 when this was published still faces to this day
September 16, 2022
really cool book to learn about the yemeni fabric of society and a pretty good blueprint for how the country descended into violence and chaos
February 1, 2020
Lots of great information in this book, but the writing can be dry and the structure makes it hard to follow. The book would be better if it was reorganized chronologically so readers could see the conclusions the author makes on their own without rereading those conclusions repeatedly before reading about the context and reasons for such conclusions. This would also make the arguments stronger. There are not many books out there on Yemen, and certainly few if any with this level of information and research.
June 8, 2019
This is an excellent book on Yemen, especially for someone who doesn't know the region or the country well. It gives a good introduction to the history of Yemen, not in-depth but what is relevant to understand the relationship with neighbours. As English isn't my mother tongue, I found myself at times progressing very slowly, but it doesn't take away from the book, and I have a better, if of course only superficial, understadning of the problems Yemen has been and is facing.
May 29, 2021
I started this book not knowing much about Yemen and its ongoing war and humanitarian crisis. Reading Lackner's book opened my eyes to the devastating situation in the country. It provides you with a detailed and well explained narrative of the country's road to war and the different factors that played into it as well as the ones that impede an end to it.
April 19, 2021
The way that the book is structured makes it hard to follow the story.
The book seems more suitable for academia than general interest.
I do not recommend this book.
The book seems more suitable for academia than general interest.
I do not recommend this book.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews