On November 8, 2018 the EastWest Institute’s Brussels office (EWI) hosted a conference entitled “Yemen’s Way Forward: Rethinking Current Approaches” in cooperation with its trusted partner the Center for Applied Research in Partnership with the Orient (CARPO).

Three and a half years after the intervention of Saudi coalition forces, Yemen is staring down the precipice of one of the most severe world crises. The war stricken country has seen its currency plummet and has been blighted by famine. Together with a lack of access to clean water, the situation has cumulated in a health epidemic unprecedented in the 21st Century. In the hope of addressing these issues, the newly elected Prime Minister, Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed, has been appointed in an attempt to prevent the total collapse of the Yemeni economy.

Although the situation in Yemen is far from being a so-called, “forgotten conflict,” there are surprisingly few conferences concerning the current conflict which bring prominent experts from the country to share their views and expertise. In addition to approximately twenty invited guests from major European institutions, think tanks and NGOs therefore, speakers from several Yemeni organizations including the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies, Yemen Development Champion and Deep Root Consulting, each took the opportunity to discuss the current situation and the challenges ahead.

Photo credit: Charles Elkins