--- title: Yemen — English Wikipedia · full text with trees · page 4 description: Wikipedia's «Yemen», whole, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics, CC BY-SA 4.0. It begins: Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Yemen/page/4/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [wikipedia](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/) / [en](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/) / Yemen # Yemen · page 4 From Wikipedia, [«Yemen»](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yemen), revision of the 2026-09-01 dump, [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). The trees and pragmatics of these pages, Mova's parse of that text, are CC BY-SA 4.0 too. [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Yemen/) [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Yemen/page/2/) [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Yemen/page/3/) **4** [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Yemen/page/5/) Despite the STC embarking on [an initially successful military campaign in late 2025](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025–2026_Southern_Yemen_campaign),[\[208\]](../../page/5/#ref-208 "note 208") [it was decisively defeated](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025–2026_Southern_Yemen_campaign#Yemeni_government_counter-offensive) in early 2026 by a Yemeni government counter-offensive.[\[209\]](../../page/5/#ref-209 "note 209")[335](../../335/ "tree and pragmatics") ## Geography Main article: [Geography of Yemen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Yemen) Yemen covers 455,000 km2[\[9\]](../../page/5/#ref-9 "note 9") and is located at the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula.[\[210\]](../../page/5/#ref-210 "note 210")[336](../../336/ "tree and pragmatics") It is bordered by [Saudi Arabia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi_Arabia) [corpus](../../../Saudi_Arabia/ "in our corpus") to [the north](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi_Arabia–Yemen_border), the [Red Sea](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Sea) to the west, the [Gulf of Aden](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Aden) and [Guardafui Channel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guardafui_Channel) to the south, and [Oman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oman) [corpus](../../../Oman/ "in our corpus") to [the east](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oman–Yemen_border).[337](../../337/ "tree and pragmatics") Several Red Sea islands, including the [Hanish Islands](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanish_Islands), [Kamaran](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamaran), and [Perim](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perim), as well as [Socotra](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socotra) in the [Arabian Sea](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabian_Sea), belong to Yemen; the largest of these is Socotra.[338](../../338/ "tree and pragmatics") Many of the islands are volcanic; [Jabal al-Tair Island](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jabal_al-Tair_Island) had volcanic eruptions in 1883 and 2007.[339](../../339/ "tree and pragmatics") Although mainland Yemen is in the southern Arabian Peninsula and thus part of Asia, and its Hanish Islands and Perim in the Red Sea are associated with Asia, the [archipelago](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archipelago) of Socotra, which lies east of the [Horn of Africa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horn_of_Africa) and is much closer to Africa than to Asia, is geographically and bio-geographically associated with Africa.[\[211\]](../../page/5/#ref-211 "note 211")[340](../../340/ "tree and pragmatics") ### Regions and climate Yemen can be divided geographically into four main regions: the coastal plains in the west, the western highlands, the eastern highlands, and the [Rub' al Khali](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rub%27_al_Khali) in the east.[341](../../341/ "tree and pragmatics") The [Tihamah](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tihamah) ("hot lands" or "hot earth") form a very arid and flat coastal plain along Yemen's entire Red Sea coastline.[342](../../342/ "tree and pragmatics") Despite the aridity, the presence of many lagoons makes this region very marshy and a suitable breeding ground for [malaria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaria)-bearing mosquitos.[343](../../343/ "tree and pragmatics") Extensive crescent-shaped sand dunes are present.[344](../../344/ "tree and pragmatics") The evaporation in the Tihamah is so great that streams from the highlands never reach the sea, but they do contribute to extensive [groundwater](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundwater) reserves.[345](../../345/ "tree and pragmatics") Today, these are heavily exploited for agricultural use.[346](../../346/ "tree and pragmatics") Near the village of [Madar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madar,_Yemen) about 50 km north of Sanaa, dinosaur footprints were found, indicating that the area was once a muddy flat.[347](../../347/ "tree and pragmatics") The Tihamah ends abruptly at the [escarpment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escarpment) of the western highlands.[348](../../348/ "tree and pragmatics") This area, now heavily [terraced](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrace_%28earthworks%29) to meet the demand for food, receives the highest rainfall in Arabia, rapidly increasing from 100 mm per year to about 760 mm in Taiz and over 1000 mm in Ibb.[349](../../349/ "tree and pragmatics") Temperatures are warm in the day but fall dramatically at night.[350](../../350/ "tree and pragmatics") The central highlands are an extensive high plateau over 2000 m in elevation.[351](../../351/ "tree and pragmatics") This area is drier than the western highlands because of rain-shadow influences, but still receives sufficient rain in wet years for extensive cropping.[352](../../352/ "tree and pragmatics") Water storage allows for [irrigation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irrigation) and the growing of [wheat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat) and [barley](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barley).[353](../../353/ "tree and pragmatics") Sanaa is in this region.[354](../../354/ "tree and pragmatics") The highest point in Yemen and Arabia is [Jabal An-Nabi Shu'ayb](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jabal_An-Nabi_Shu%27ayb), at about 3666 m.[\[210\]](../../page/5/#ref-210 "note 210")[\[212\]](../../page/5/#ref-212 "note 212") Yemen's portion of the Rub al Khali desert in the east is much lower, generally below 1000 m, and receives almost no rain.[355](../../355/ "tree and pragmatics") It is populated only by [Bedouin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedouin) herders of [camels](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dromedary).[356](../../356/ "tree and pragmatics") ### Biodiversity Main article: [Wildlife of Yemen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildlife_of_Yemen) Yemen contains six terrestrial ecoregions: [Arabian Peninsula coastal fog desert](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabian_Peninsula_coastal_fog_desert), [Socotra Island xeric shrublands](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socotra_Island_xeric_shrublands), [Southwestern Arabian foothills savanna](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southwestern_Arabian_foothills_savanna), [Southwestern Arabian montane woodlands](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southwestern_Arabian_montane_woodlands), [Arabian Desert](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabian_Desert), and [Red Sea Nubo-Sindian tropical desert and semi-desert](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Sea_Nubo-Sindian_tropical_desert_and_semi-desert).[\[213\]](../../page/5/#ref-213 "note 213")[357](../../357/ "tree and pragmatics") The flora is a mixture of the tropical African, Sudanian plant geographical region and the Saharo-Arabian region.[358](../../358/ "tree and pragmatics") The Sudanian element—characterized by relatively high rainfall—dominates the western mountains and parts of the highland plains.[359](../../359/ "tree and pragmatics") The Saharo-Arabian element dominates in the coastal plains, eastern mountain, and the eastern and northern desert plains.[360](../../360/ "tree and pragmatics") A high percentage of Yemen plants belong to tropical African plants of Sudanian regions.[361](../../361/ "tree and pragmatics") Among the Sudanian element species, the following may be mentioned: [Ficus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ficus) spp., [Acacia mellifera](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acacia_mellifera), [Grewia villosa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grewia_villosa), [Commiphora](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commiphora) spp., [Rosa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose) abyssinica, [Cadaba](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadaba) farinosa and others.[\[214\]](../../page/5/#ref-214 "note 214")[362](../../362/ "tree and pragmatics") Among the Saharo-Arabian species, these may be mentioned: [Panicum turgidum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panicum_turgidum), [Aerva javanica](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerva_javanica), [Zygophyllum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zygophyllum) simplex, [Fagonia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fagonia) indica, [Salsola](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salsola) spp., [Acacia tortilis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acacia_tortilis), A. hamulos, [A. ehrenbergiana](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acacia_ehrenbergiana), [Phoenix dactylifera](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_dactylifera), [Hyphaene thebaica](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyphaene_thebaica), [Capparis decidua](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capparis_decidua), [Salvadora persica](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvadora_persica), [Balanites aegyptiaca](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balanites_aegyptiaca), and many others.[363](../../363/ "tree and pragmatics") Many of the Saharo-Arabian species are endemic to the extensive sandy coastal plain (the Tihamah).[\[215\]](../../page/5/#ref-215 "note 215")[364](../../364/ "tree and pragmatics") Among the fauna, the [Arabian leopard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabian_leopard), which would inhabit the mountains, is considered rare here.[\[216\]](../../page/5/#ref-216 "note 216")[365](../../365/ "tree and pragmatics") ## Government and politics Main article: [Politics of Yemen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Yemen) Yemen is a unitary[\[217\]](../../page/5/#ref-217 "note 217")[\[218\]](../../page/5/#ref-218 "note 218")[\[219\]](../../page/5/#ref-219 "note 219") [semi-presidential republic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-presidential_system)[\[220\]](../../page/5/#ref-220 "note 220")[\[221\]](../../page/5/#ref-221 "note 221")[\[222\]](../../page/5/#ref-222 "note 222") with a [bicameral](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicameralism) legislature.[366](../../366/ "tree and pragmatics") Under the 1991 constitution, an elected president, an elected 301-seat [Assembly of Representatives](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Representatives_%28Yemen%29), and an appointed 111-member [Shura](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shura) Council share power.[367](../../367/ "tree and pragmatics") The [president](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Yemen) is the [head of state](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_of_state), and the [prime minister](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_Yemen) is the [head of government](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_of_government).[368](../../368/ "tree and pragmatics") In Sanaa, a [Supreme Political Council](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Political_Council) (not recognized internationally) forms a government for [Houthi-controlled territory of Yemen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houthi-controlled_territory_of_Yemen).[369](../../369/ "tree and pragmatics") The 1991 constitution provides that the president be elected by popular vote from at least two candidates endorsed by at least 15 members of the Parliament.[370](../../370/ "tree and pragmatics") The prime minister, in turn, is appointed by the president and must be approved by two-thirds of the Parliament.[371](../../371/ "tree and pragmatics") The presidential term of office is seven years, and the parliamentary term of elected office is six years.[372](../../372/ "tree and pragmatics") [Suffrage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suffrage) is universal for people aged 18 and older, but only Muslims may hold elected office.[\[223\]](../../page/5/#ref-223 "note 223")[373](../../373/ "tree and pragmatics") President [Ali Abdullah Saleh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Abdullah_Saleh) became the first elected president in reunified Yemen in 1999 (though he had been president of unified Yemen since 1990 and president of North Yemen since 1978).[374](../../374/ "tree and pragmatics") He was re-elected to office in September 2006.[375](../../375/ "tree and pragmatics") Saleh's victory was marked by an election that international observers judged was "partly free", though the election was accompanied by violence, violations of press freedoms, and allegations of fraud.[\[224\]](../../page/5/#ref-224 "note 224")[376](../../376/ "tree and pragmatics") Parliamentary elections were held in April 2003, and the [General People's Congress](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_People%27s_Congress_%28Yemen%29) maintained an absolute majority.[377](../../377/ "tree and pragmatics") Saleh remained almost uncontested in his seat of power until 2011, when local frustration at his refusal to hold another round of elections, as combined with the consequences of the 2011 Arab Spring, resulted in mass protests.[\[179\]](../../page/5/#ref-179 "note 179")[378](../../378/ "tree and pragmatics") In 2012, he was forced to resign from power, though he remained an important factor in Yemeni politics, allying with the Houthis during their takeover in the mid-2010s.[\[225\]](../../page/5/#ref-225 "note 225")[379](../../379/ "tree and pragmatics") The constitution calls for an independent judiciary.[380](../../380/ "tree and pragmatics") The former northern and southern legal codes have been unified.[381](../../381/ "tree and pragmatics") The legal system includes separate commercial courts and a Supreme Court based in Sanaa.[382](../../382/ "tree and pragmatics") [Sharia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharia) is the main source of laws, with many court cases being debated according to the religious basis of law and many judges being religious scholars as well as legal authorities.[383](../../383/ "tree and pragmatics") The Prison Authority Organization Act, Republican decree no. 48 (1981), and Prison Act regulations, provide the legal framework for management of the country's prison system.[\[226\]](../../page/5/#ref-226 "note 226")[384](../../384/ "tree and pragmatics") According to [International IDEA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Institute_for_Democracy_and_Electoral_Assistance)'s Global State of Democracy (GSoD) Indices and Democracy Tracker, Yemen performs in the low range on overall democratic measures, with particular weaknesses in political representation, including elected government and effective parliament.[\[227\]](../../page/5/#ref-227 "note 227")[\[228\]](../../page/5/#ref-228 "note 228")[\[229\]](../../page/5/#ref-229 "note 229")[385](../../385/ "tree and pragmatics") ### Administrative divisions Main article: [Governorates of Yemen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governorates_of_Yemen), [Federalization of Yemen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federalization_of_Yemen) Yemen is divided into twenty-one governorates ([muhafazat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhafazat)) plus one municipality called "Amanat Al-Asemah" (the latter containing the constitutional capital, Sanaa).[\[230\]](../../page/5/#ref-230 "note 230")[386](../../386/ "tree and pragmatics") An additional governorate ([Soqatra Governorate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soqatra_Governorate)) was created in December 2013 comprising Socotra Island, previously part of Hadramaut Governorate.[\[231\]](../../page/5/#ref-231 "note 231")[387](../../387/ "tree and pragmatics") The governorates are subdivided into 333 [districts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Districts_of_Yemen) (muderiah), which are subdivided into 2,210 sub-districts, and then into 38,284 villages (as of 2001).[388](../../388/ "tree and pragmatics") In 2014, a constitutional panel decided to divide the country into six regions—four in the north, two in the south, and capital Sanaa outside of any region—creating a federalist model of governance.[\[232\]](../../page/5/#ref-232 "note 232")[389](../../389/ "tree and pragmatics") This federal proposal was a contributing factor toward the Houthis' subsequent coup d'état against the government.[\[233\]](../../page/5/#ref-233 "note 233")[\[234\]](../../page/5/#ref-234 "note 234")[\[235\]](../../page/5/#ref-235 "note 235")[390](../../390/ "tree and pragmatics") ### Foreign relations Main article: [Foreign relations of Yemen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_relations_of_Yemen) Yemen is a member of the United Nations, the [Arab League](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_League), and the [Organisation of Islamic Cooperation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organisation_of_Islamic_Cooperation), and also participates in the [nonaligned movement](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonaligned_movement).[391](../../391/ "tree and pragmatics") Yemen has acceded to the [Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_on_the_Non-Proliferation_of_Nuclear_Weapons).[392](../../392/ "tree and pragmatics") Since the end of the 1994 civil war, tangible progress has been made on the diplomatic front in restoring normal relations with Yemen's neighbours.[393](../../393/ "tree and pragmatics") In the summer of 2000, Yemen and Saudi Arabia signed an International Border Treaty settling a 50-year-old dispute over the location of the border between the two countries.[\[236\]](../../page/5/#ref-236 "note 236")[394](../../394/ "tree and pragmatics") Yemen's northern border had been undefined; the [Arabian Desert](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabian_Desert) prevented any human habitation there.[395](../../395/ "tree and pragmatics") The [Saudi–Yemen barrier](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi–Yemen_barrier) was constructed by Saudi Arabia in 2004, who claimed that pro-Al Qaeda militants, drugs, and weapons were entering the country from Yemen.[\[237\]](../../page/5/#ref-237 "note 237")[\[238\]](../../page/5/#ref-238 "note 238")[396](../../396/ "tree and pragmatics") In March 2020, the [Trump administration](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_presidency_of_Donald_Trump) and key U.S. allies, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, cut off tens of millions of dollars for health care programs and other aid to the United Nations' appeal for Yemen.[397](../../397/ "tree and pragmatics") As a result of funding cuts, the [United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Office_for_the_Coordination_of_Humanitarian_Affairs) stated that the UN agencies were forced to either close or reduce more than 75 per cent of its programs that year alone, affecting more than 8 million people.[398](../../398/ "tree and pragmatics") Saudi Arabia had been leading a Western-backed military coalition, including the United Arab Emirates as a key member, which intervened in Yemen in 2015, in a bid to restore the government ousted from power by the Houthi movement.[399](../../399/ "tree and pragmatics") The United Nations described the situation in Yemen, where the war killed tens of thousands of people and left millions on the brink of famine, as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.[\[239\]](../../page/5/#ref-239 "note 239")[400](../../400/ "tree and pragmatics") In January 2024, President Joe Biden announced that the United States, Britain and allies Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands had launched a military assault on Houthi militant targets in Yemen.[\[240\]](../../page/5/#ref-240 "note 240")[401](../../401/ "tree and pragmatics") ### Military Main article: [Yemeni Armed Forces](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yemeni_Armed_Forces) The military forces include the [Yemeni Army](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yemen_Army#Pro-Hadi_forces) (including the [Republican Guard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Guard_%28Yemen%29)), [Yemeni Navy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yemeni_Navy) (including the Marines) and the [Yemeni Air Force](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yemeni_Air_Force) (including the Air Defense Force) and the Strategic Reserve Forces & [Unmanned Aviation Forces](https://ar.wikipedia.org/سلاح_الجو_المسير_%28اليمن%29).[402](../../402/ "tree and pragmatics") Since the start of the [current civil war](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yemeni_civil_war_%282014–present%29) in 2014, the armed forces have been divided; at first between loyalists of the former president [Ali Abdullah Saleh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Abdullah_Saleh) and pro-Yemeni government forces of president [Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdrabbuh_Mansour_Hadi); as of 2025, between the internationally recognized [Presidential Leadership Council](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Leadership_Council) (PLC), and the [Houthi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houthi)-led [Supreme Political Council](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Political_Council) (SPC).[403](../../403/ "tree and pragmatics") Per the constitution, the [President of Yemen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Yemen) serves as the commander-in-chief.[404](../../404/ "tree and pragmatics") Currently, the presidency and supreme command of the armed forces is disputed between [Rashad al-Alimi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rashad_al-Alimi), Chairman of the PLC, and [Mahdi al-Mashat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahdi_al-Mashat), chairman of the SPC.[405](../../405/ "tree and pragmatics") Before the civil war, the united military was headquartered in the country's capital, [Sanaa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanaa) [corpus](../../../Sanaa/ "in our corpus").[406](../../406/ "tree and pragmatics") Already before 2014, the number of military personnel in Yemen was relatively high; in sum, Yemen had the second largest military force on the [Arabian Peninsula](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabian_Peninsula) after [Saudi Arabia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi_Arabia) [corpus](../../../Saudi_Arabia/ "in our corpus").[407](../../407/ "tree and pragmatics") In 2012, total active troops were estimated as follows: army, 66,700; navy, 7,000; and air force, 5,000.[408](../../408/ "tree and pragmatics") In September 2007, the government announced the reinstatement of [compulsory military service](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsory_military_service).[409](../../409/ "tree and pragmatics") Yemen's [defence budget](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defense_budget), which in 2006 represented approximately 40 percent of the total government budget, is expected to remain high for the near term, as the military draft takes effect and internal security threats continue to escalate.[410](../../410/ "tree and pragmatics") ### Human rights Main article: [Human rights in Yemen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Yemen) [Corruption in Yemen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_in_Yemen) is such that it ranked 176 out of 180 countries in the 2022 [Corruption Perceptions Index](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_Perceptions_Index).[\[241\]](../../page/5/#ref-241 "note 241")[411](../../411/ "tree and pragmatics") The government and its security forces have been responsible for torture, inhumane treatment, and extrajudicial executions.[412](../../412/ "tree and pragmatics") There are arbitrary arrests of citizens, especially in the south, as well as arbitrary searches of homes.[413](../../413/ "tree and pragmatics") Prolonged pretrial detention is a serious problem, and judicial corruption, inefficiency, and executive interference undermine due process.[414](../../414/ "tree and pragmatics") Freedom of speech, the press, and religion are all restricted.[\[242\]](../../page/5/#ref-242 "note 242")[415](../../415/ "tree and pragmatics") Journalists critical of the government are often harassed and threatened by the police.[\[158\]](../../page/5/#ref-158 "note 158")[416](../../416/ "tree and pragmatics") [Homosexuality](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_Yemen) is illegal and punishable by death.[\[243\]](../../page/5/#ref-243 "note 243")[417](../../417/ "tree and pragmatics") Yemen is ranked last of 135 countries in the 2012 [Global Gender Gap Report](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Gender_Gap_Report).[\[244\]](../../page/5/#ref-244 "note 244")[418](../../418/ "tree and pragmatics") [Human Rights Watch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Rights_Watch) reported on discrimination and [violence against women](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violence_against_women) as well as on the abolition of the minimum marriage age of 15 for women.[419](../../419/ "tree and pragmatics") The onset of [puberty](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puberty) (interpreted by some to be as low as the age of nine) was set as a requirement for marriage instead.[\[245\]](../../page/5/#ref-245 "note 245")[420](../../420/ "tree and pragmatics") Publicity about the case of ten-year-old Yemeni divorcee [Nujood Ali](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nujood_Ali) brought the child marriage issue to the forefront worldwide.[\[246\]](../../page/5/#ref-246 "note 246")[\[247\]](../../page/5/#ref-247 "note 247")[\[248\]](../../page/5/#ref-248 "note 248")[421](../../421/ "tree and pragmatics") In 2017, the [UN Human Rights Council](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Human_Rights_Council) voted to create a team of experts to investigate suspected breaches of humanitarian law and human rights in Yemen.[\[249\]](../../page/5/#ref-249 "note 249")[422](../../422/ "tree and pragmatics") In December 2021, [The Guardian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Guardian) revealed, Saudi Arabia used "incentives and threats" as part of a pressure campaign to end a UN inquiry into human rights infringements in Yemen.[\[250\]](../../page/5/#ref-250 "note 250")[423](../../423/ "tree and pragmatics") In June 2020, a human rights group revealed the scale of torture and deaths in Yemen's unofficial detention centres.[424](../../424/ "tree and pragmatics") UAE and Saudi forces were responsible for some of the most shocking treatment of prisoners, including being hung upside down for hours and sexual torture such as the burning of genitals.[\[251\]](../../page/5/#ref-251 "note 251")[425](../../425/ "tree and pragmatics") According to 2020 United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates, 6.1 million girls and women were in need of gender-based violence services.[426](../../426/ "tree and pragmatics") The UNFPA also reported a rise in gender-based violence cases amid COVID-19 pandemic, increase in rate of child marriages, most acutely among internally displaced persons (IDPs).[427](../../427/ "tree and pragmatics") One in five girls aged 10 to 19 were married in IDP camps, compared to 1 in 8 in host communities.[\[252\]](../../page/5/#ref-252 "note 252")[428](../../428/ "tree and pragmatics") The [United States Department of State](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_State) 2013 Trafficking in Persons report classified Yemen as a Tier 3 country,[\[253\]](../../page/5/#ref-253 "note 253") meaning that its government does not fully comply with the minimum standards against [human trafficking](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_trafficking_in_Yemen) and is not making significant efforts to do so.[\[254\]](../../page/5/#ref-254 "note 254")[429](../../429/ "tree and pragmatics") Yemen officially abolished [slavery in Yemen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_in_Yemen) in 1962,[\[255\]](../../page/5/#ref-255 "note 255") but it is still being practiced.[\[256\]](../../page/5/#ref-256 "note 256")[430](../../430/ "tree and pragmatics") On 22 June 2020, [Human Rights Watch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Rights_Watch) wrote an open letter to the [UN Secretary-General](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretary-General_of_the_United_Nations) to improve the protection of children in Yemen.[\[257\]](../../page/5/#ref-257 "note 257")[431](../../431/ "tree and pragmatics") [Amnesty](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amnesty) said, [United Nations Security Council](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council) must urgently fix its monitoring and reporting mechanism for children affected by armed conflict.[\[258\]](../../page/5/#ref-258 "note 258")[432](../../432/ "tree and pragmatics") On 14 September 2020, Human Rights Watch demanded an end to interference with Yemeni aid operations, as millions of lives were put at risk.[\[259\]](../../page/5/#ref-259 "note 259")[433](../../433/ "tree and pragmatics") [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Yemen/) [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Yemen/page/2/) [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Yemen/page/3/) **4** [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Yemen/page/5/) - ← previous: [page 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Yemen/page/3/) - next →: [page 5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Yemen/page/5/) - ↑ back to [English Wikipedia](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/)