War-weary Yemenis aspire for peace

As April 29 marks the World Wish Day, many Yemenis say their main wish is to see peace restored to Yemen

Mohammed Alragawi |29.04.2022
File photo showing UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (2nd R), UN special envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths and Foreign Minister of Sweden Margot Wallstrom (L) attend a press conference during the closing session of Yemen peace talks in Rimbo town of Stockholm, Sweden, on December 12, 2018. ( Atila Altuntaş - Anadolu Agency )

ISTANBUL

The formation of a new presidential council and a UN-brokered truce have raised hopes among Yemeni civilians of establishing peace and security in the war-ravaged country.

Earlier this month, Yemen’s newly formed presidential council was sworn in to lead the country through a transitional period, sparking hopes of putting an end to the 8-year conflict in the Arab country.

Yemen’s warring rivals also agreed to a UN-brokered two-month truce during which all offensive military operations were halted.

As April 29 marks the World Wish Day, many Yemenis speaking with Anadolu Agency said their main wish is to see peace restored to their country.

Abdulhamid El-Ain, a Yemeni doctor based in Saudi Arabia, said establishing peace and security in Yemen is “everyone’s wish”.

“Achieving this wish is enough to guarantee other wishes of millions of Yemeni people,” he told Anadolu Agency on Friday.

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iran-aligned Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

A Saudi-led coalition, which seeks to reinstate the Yemeni government, has worsened the situation, causing one of the world’s worst man-made humanitarian crises.

Nearly 80%, or about 30 million people, are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection, and more than 13 million in danger of starvation, according to UN estimates.

Better life

Bekil El-Dulai, a chief financial officer, said the life of Yemenis will greatly improve if peace and security are restored to the country.

“With an established peace in the country, the war will eventually end, prices will fall, and there will be more opportunities for work, investment, freedom and a decent life for everyone,” he said.

Mohammed El-Ghouly, a university student, opines that restoring state institutions is vital to bring stability to Yemen.
“Without effective governmental institutions, the country may turn into a militia state,” he said.

“Strong state institutions would pave the way for a permanent ceasefire and lasting peace, and eliminating the humanitarian crisis that killed many Yemenis for years,” he added.

Lasting peace

For Daifallah El-Quhali, a Yemeni journalist, without strong state institutions “no wish is coming true.”

He believes that establishing strong state institutions is a “necessity for a dignified, humane and secure life.”

“The wishes for lasting peace, acceptable level of freedoms, and a strong economy that enables people to live with honor and dignity are going to become a reality when the state and its institutions are back on track,” El-Quhali said.

The years-long conflict in Yemen has destroyed much of the country’s infrastructure and undermined the ability of most institutions to deliver essential social services.

Nabilah Saeed, a human rights activist, said: “without strengthening the state institutions, the ongoing war will continue to affect the daily routine of Yemenis.”

“Yemen currently has very weak and ineffective institutions, and restoring those institutions means restoring hopes of the Yemeni civilians, and restoring the state’s strength,” she added.

Saeed said establishing strong state institutions requires a “comprehensive national project” that considers all the needs of people, eliminates the political obstacles, and adapts possible arrangements.