The Yemen Surprises

While I am not an "expert" on Yemen and have not ever claimed to be one, I have been watching and interacting with Yemenis for a few years now. As events unfold in Yemen, I am truly saddened. It's noticeable, and recently, a kind friend reached out to me about Yemen, and asked me what surprises me about the events in Yemen.  Here's a list of the "no surprises" and the "surprises."

1.      I am not surprised by the fact of resistance in Aden (and other areas of the south) to Houthis. Although I understand that for many people in the south the Houthis represent an existential threat, I am surprised by the level of their resistance.

2.      I am not surprised by the fact that there are anti-Hadi/pro-Houthi or pro-Saleh forces in the south. What surprised me was the rhetoric from southerners expressing surprise about the presence of such groups.

3.      I am not surprised by the fact that Sana'a showed no resistance to Houthis. A tour of the Old City in 2012 would have shown that Sana'a has been pro-Houthi since at least that time.

4.      I am not surprised that people in Sana'a hated Hadi, his political allies and by extension many southerners, where a number originated from. I am surprised how strong the hatred is.

5.      Finally, I am not surprised by KSA’s intervention into Yemen. However, I only expected cash intervention or some supplies, like what happened in 1994. I certainly did not expect the launching of air strikes and that these strikes would continue for more than one month.