A quick breakdown of the conflict and humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

Over the past eight years, Yemen has been torn apart by war. The conflict continues to intensify and this year, it seems to have grown more violent than ever - with civilians being killed in record numbers. The situation is often referred to as the "world's worst humanitarian crisis". So, what exactly is going on?

Why is there war in Yemen?

The roots of the current conflict can be traced back to the Arab Spring - a wave of pro-democracy protests and uprisings that took place in the Middle East in 2011. People in Yemen wanted change and so President Ali Abdullah Saleh was forced to hand over power to his deputy, Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi. But the transition didn't go smoothly - not everyone was happy about Hadi taking power. In 2014, the Houthis, a rebel group loyal to former President Saleh, seized control of the Saada province of Yemen and then took over the capital city of Sanaa. They aimed to take over the entire country. Because of the escalating violence, President Hadi fled to Saudi Arabia in March 2015. Saudi Arabia was alarmed by the prospect of the Houthis taking control of Yemen and considered it a massive threat. It then led a coalition of Arab states to try get President Hadi and his government back in control, while launching a military campaign. This coalition also had support from several Western countries like US, UK, Canada and France. Most of the conflict over the past eight years has been between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition.

What's happening now?

In recent times, the war has become more brutal. In 2021, the Houthis launched an attack on Marib, the government's last stronghold in North Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition have fought the Houthis using mainly air strikes. The Houthis have attacked areas in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates with missiles and drones, targeting specific sites but injuring civilians in the process.