Yemen's troubles are our own concern, too

Published: 
Beatrice Yeung, Hong Kong International School
Listen to this article
Beatrice Yeung, Hong Kong International School |
Published: 
Comment

Latest Articles

Hong Kong schools to hold National Security Education Day next month

Hong Kong to showcase about 100 masterpieces from the Palace of Versailles

Hong Kong English teachers to undergo IELTS instead of local assessment

DSE 2024: To ace English Paper 1, pay attention to details and use ChatGPT to study

Australia’s ‘earless dragon’ faces extinction due to climate change

A wave of popular demonstrations has been sweeping through the Arab world. Yemen has also been caught up in mass protests demanding reform and democracy.

For months, the country has been virtually shut down by the nationwide protests. Yemen's economy is on the verge of collapse.

Meanwhile, al-Qaeda is fighting security forces to gain control over various regions of the country.

The Yemeni uprising has far-reaching consequences for the region and the world. We should all be concerned about its outcome.

The uprising was initially triggered by disgruntled young people who wanted democracy in their country. Yet militants and shady political powers have been trying to use the protests for their own ends.

The crisis "has cost the economy as much as US$8 billion, and immediate aid is needed to prevent a collapse and failure of the state", said Hisham Sharaf, Yemen's minister for trade and industry.

Thousands of people have been left homeless and normal life in the country has come to a standstill.

Yemen is one of the Arab world's poorest countries. It is a perfect recruiting base for Islamic militants. The fear is that the country will be taken over by fundamentalists.

Yemen has long played a role in America's "war on terror".

Both the United States and Saudi Arabia have raised concerns that al-Qaeda might successfully hijack the local uprising. That would have dire consequences. It would upset regional politics and threaten Western interests.

Ironically, the fall of the country's dictator, President Ali Abdullah Saleh, could usher in something even worse: a collapse of the country, which could spark a bloody civil war among Yemen's warring tribes.

The presence of foreign Islamic militants would add a further spark to the explosive mix.

Yemen's problems are not just domestic. They pose a great threat to regional and international stability and progress.

Sign up for the YP Teachers Newsletter
Get updates for teachers sent directly to your inbox
By registering, you agree to our T&C and Privacy Policy
Comment